64% of Filipinos back COA order for VP Sara to return P73M confidential funds

MANILA, Philippines — A recent survey found that nearly two in every three Filipinos want Vice President Sara Duterte to return the P73.28 million in disallowed confidential funds to the government. Based on the latest results of The National Momentum Survey by Momentum Research, 64% of Filipinos say they agree or strongly agree with the Commission on Audit (COA) order that obliged Duterte to return the allegedly misused funds. In 2024, COA issued a notice of disallowance on part of the 2022 OVP confidential funds after it found that the funds were spent on activities that are unrelated to their declared purposes. Only 24% said they disagree or strongly disagree, 8.9% said they are unsure, and 3.1% refused to answer. The survey found that, in terms of age, most of those who believed that Duterte should comply with the COA order came from the younger generation. “Almost 4 in 5 Gen Zs believe the vice president should comply with the COA order, while 3 in 5 Millennials share the same view,” the survey read. Most of the respondents from Generation X, or 56.1%, also believed that the allegedly misused confidential funds should be returned to the state. Meanwhile, it was also observed that 52.7% of respondents belonging to the Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation backed the COA order, which “do not show a clear majority in support considering the margin of error” according to the survey. The National Momentum Survey was carried out through face-to-face interviews with 1,487 adults across the country from August 18 to 23, with a ±2.5 percentage-point national margin of error at a 95% confidence level. This public sentiment reflects growing public scrutiny over the use of public funds, particularly by high-ranking government offices, and underscores a demand for greater transparency and accountability in government financial management.