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Lawmakers want to see how OVP, DepEd used confidential funds

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Willard Cheng

ABS-CBN News

A number of lawmakers want to know how the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education used its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.During the budget briefing of the Commission on Audit, ACT Teachers party list Rep. France Castro moved for the Committee on Appropriations to issue a subpoena duces tecum to the COA to submit any Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) that were issued on the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President in 2022 and 2023 and the Department of Education in 2023 when Vice President Sara Duterte was also its secretary. AOM is defined by COA as “a written notification to the agency head and concerned officer/s informing of deficiencies noted in the audit of accounts, operations or transactions and requiring comments thereto.”Castro said she wanted to find out the COA’s audit observations on these funds and if any notices of disallowance were issued, citing a 2013 COA circular saying the agency can be compelled to submit reports or decisions given the issuance of subpoenas.  Manila Rep. Joel Chua, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party list Rep. Raoul Manuel expressed support for Castro’s motion. Nueva Ecija Rep. Joseph Violago said that Castro’s motion can be acted upon “in the proper time” since today was intended for COA’s budget briefing.Committee on Appropriations Vice Chair and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said Castro’s motion can be taken up after all the briefings are done. “As soon as all the briefings are done then that motion can be entertained before the whole committee,” Quimbo said. “2022 pa natin ito hinihingi at medyo overdue na ito,” Castro said. COA chair Gamaliel Cordoba said the agency will await the committee’s action on Castro’s request for subpoena.Cordoba said the OVP and the DepEd have already submitted their audit reports and that the COA already has its audit action and findings but cannot divulge it publicly given the nature of the funds.The OVP, he added also submitted its accomplishment report on the use of funds to the Office of the President, the House Speaker and Senate President and that copies of the accomplishment report may be furnished to the members.“Ang aming posisyon is we will wait for the subpoena and then we will study the matter based on the subpoena that will be issued by the honorable Committee on Appropriations,” Cordoba said. “If this is not yet the proper time, since this is the (budget) briefing, may I therefore move na lang that the proper body to decide on my motion be constituted as soon as possible so that we can issue the subpoena,” Castro replied. Brosas said the committee should take action on Castro’s motion and defer the COA’s budget given the House’s oversight function if it will not be able to make public the audit findings on the use of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and DepEd. “Ako I will stand by my position. Ka defer defer po ang (COA) budget kung hindi po natin makita kung saan ginamit ang 125 million confidential funds,” Brosas said.

A number of lawmakers want to know how the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education used its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

A number of lawmakers want to know how the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education used its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.