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Liberal Party won't sanction Quimbo over defense of confidential funds

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RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Press and Public Affairs Bureau handout/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/10/07/20221116-congress-crisis-ppab-9.jpg"/><figcaption>Rep. Estella Luz Quimbo attends the House Committee on Social Services on Novmber 16, 2022. Press and Public Affairs Bureau handout/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- The Liberal Party will not sanction Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo over her defense of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds, Party President and Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said.“Rep. Stella Quimbo is still a member of the Liberal Party and no sanction will be imposed on her,” Lagman said Saturday.Lagman explained that the LP allows dissent among its ranks.“The enduring tradition of the Liberal Party is to allow its members to take independent views on national issues in recognition of a member’s freedom of expression and dissent,” Lagman said. He explained that the decision was unanimously reached by the party&#x27;s management committee, together with some district representatives.Lagman, as president of the party, was authorized to issue the statement.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/19/23/ovp-confidential-fund-sparks-debate-between-lawmakers">&#x27;Di ko kailangan ng paliwanag&#x27;: OVP confidential fund sparks debate between lawmakers</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/08/23/makabayan-bloc-disputes-quimbos-claims-on-vp-dutertes-confidential-funds">Makabayan bloc disputes Quimbo&#x27;s claims on VP Duterte&#x27;s confidential funds</a></li></ul>In his statement, Lagman recognized that Quimbo’s defense of the confidential funds resulted in the clamor for some in the party for sanctions to be imposed on her.“The defense of Rep. Stella Quimbo of the confidential funds, particularly of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, and the Maharlika Investment Fund, contrary to the collective position of the leadership and ranking members of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, has resulted in some clamor to sanction Rep. Quimbo as a Party member. Although it has to be noted that she has later conceded that the utilization and audit of secret funds must be made more transparent and officials made more accountable,” he said.Quimbo chose to be allied with the House Majority under Speaker Martin Romualdez, which has resulted in her being elected as one of the chamber’s top leaders. She is now senior vice chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which is tasked with crafting and oversight of the annual national budget. She also now sits as one of the members of the Small Committee which has final say over the amendments that will be included in the final version of House Bill 8980, the 2024 Budget that will be submitted to the Senate. As such, Quimbo has a say in the budgets and projects of agencies that throughout the country—meaning—the constituencies of all of her colleagues in the chamber. She also handles the task of defending the budget during the deliberations, during which sponsors have to mouth the explanations of agencies as plenary sessions only allow lawmakers to speak.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/25/23/lawmaker-ovp-spent-2022-confidential-funds-in-11-days-coa-seeks-more-explanation">OVP spent 2022 confidential funds in 11 days, says lawmaker; COA seeks more explanation</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/09/25/23/ovp-spent-p125-m-confidential-funds-in-11-days-in-2022-quimbo">&#x27;Nagulat din po ako&#x27;: OVP spent P125-M confidential funds in 11 days in 2022, says Quimbo</a></li></ul>Beyond the House Appropriations Committee, Quimbo also enjoys the ear of Speaker Martin Romualdez, who has taken her in as one of his top economic advisers, along with House Ways and Means Committee Chair, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda. The 2 have frequently taken on the role of majority whip for key priority bills such as the annual national budget, various tax measures and other economic bills such as the Maharlika Investment Fund.Quimbo is married to former Rep. Miro Quimbo, who is a stalwart of the Liberal Party and was congressman during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino III.In the preceding Congress, Quimbo was allied with the House Minority under then Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. She was one of those who supported the ABS-CBN franchise and was an active fiscalizer to the majority at that time.She is on her second term as Marikina 2nd District Representative. She used to be a member of the Philippine Competition Commission. As an ally of then Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, she too became an ally of the Vice President when she was still widely considered a presidential contender prior to running for Vice President instead. During the 2022 election, Quimbo returned to her LP roots, by backing former Vice President Leni Robredo.<div>RELATED VIDEO</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=2817940" 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>

The Liberal Party will not sanction Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo over her defense of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds.

Liberal Party won't sanction Quimbo over defense of confidential funds

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Liberal Party won't sanction Quimbo over defense of confidential funds

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 07, 2023 06:46 PM PHT

Read More:

confidential funds

Stella Quimbo

Sara Duterte

Liberal Party

Edcel Lagman

budget

2024 budget

budget deliberations

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