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COA urged to investigate VP Duterte's P2B confidential funds as Davao mayor

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Michael Delizo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte join the Department of Public Works and Highways in unveiling a road development project during the inauguration of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project (Segment A) in Davao City on July 1, 2023. Alfred Frias, PNA/File." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/05/20230701-davao-city-coastal-bypass-road-pna-3.jpg"/><figcaption>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte join the Department of Public Works and Highways in unveiling a road development project during the inauguration of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road Project (Segment A) in Davao City on July 1, 2023. <em>Alfred Frias, PNA/File.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- The Commission on Audit (COA) is urged to look into the reported P2 billion worth of confidential funds that Vice President Sara Duterte used when she was a mayor of Davao City.</p><p>Data from COA showed Davao City had P2.697 billion in confidential funds from 2016 to 2022.</p><p>According to House Deputy Minority Leaders and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, this means Davao City had a daily spending of P1.235 million for the past six years.</p><p>Some groups are now calling for a probe into these reports, and to look how the government of Davao City used the funds.</p><p>For Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares, spending P2.6 billion in six years is unimaginable.</p><p>&quot;It is unimaginable for a local public official to spend P2.6 Billion in confidential funds in just six years! Were these funds fully spent to the last centavo each year?&quot; Colmenares said.</p><p>In a forum, former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza and retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio stressed that confidential funds still need to be audited.</p><p>&quot;There is no law prescribing reasonable conditions for non-full public disclosure of disbursements of confidential funds. No law whatsoever!&quot; Carpio said.</p><p>&quot;Kung kailangan ho talagang tingnan, kung gustong tingnan kung paano nagamit, puwede hong bangga o i-compare ‘yong financial plan sa accomplishment report,&quot; Mendoza added.</p><p>Mendoza said confidential funds can only be used for programs or projects that are connected to the country&#x27;s national security and peace and order.</p><p>For Carpio, a complaint against any official who would not divulge how public funds are used can be filed at the Office of the Ombudsman.</p><p>Lawmakers should also consider drafting a bill for the proper use of confidential funds should also be considered.</p><p>&quot;I’ve noticed that many LGUs now… They’re also creating confidential funds, intelligence funds. And there are no limitations here. So, we have to craft a law regulating all of these,&quot; Carpio said.</p><p>Meanwhile, according to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, local government units can have confidential funds as long as they do not abuse it.</p><p>&quot;My opinion about this is, as long as it is not abused &amp; used in accordance with the intention of the law in maintaining peace &amp; order in their LGUs, strictly conforming with the limitations/requirements of the law/guidelines issued by appropriate agencies,&quot; he said in a text message.</p><p>ABS-CBN News has reached out to Vice President Duterte but her camp has yet to respond to queries.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/01/23/buy-pcg-ships-fund-state-schools-with-reallocated-confidential-funds">Buy PCG ships, fund state schools with reallocated confidential funds: Bayan Muna</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/26/23/vp-duterte-originally-sought-p250m-confidential-funds-in-2022">VP Duterte originally sought P250M confidential funds in 2022</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2823909" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Data from COA showed Davao City had P2.697 billion in confidential funds from 2016 to 2022.

COA urged to investigate VP Duterte's P2B confidential funds as Davao mayor

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COA urged to investigate VP Duterte's P2B confidential funds as Davao mayor

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 01, 2023 09:39 PM PHT

Read More:

Commission on Audit

COA

Sara Duterte

Davao City

confidential funds

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