VP Duterte says no misuse of OVP confidential funds

MANILA (UPDATED) - Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday insisted that there is no misuse of the 2022 confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President.

This, after questions on the OVP’s P125 million confidential funds in 2022 triggered heated discussions during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on its proposed 2025 budget last week.

Duterte claimed the issue is just being used as a political attack against her.

“There was no misuse of any funds," she said, claiming that some groups are trying to "mask the real problem of the country right now. This is the sad plight of the poor and the hungry because of the unabated rise of food prices."

"Ordinary citizens' principles are not for sale, ayuda will not solve the growing dissent,” Duterte said, according to a statement sent to ABS-CBN News by her spokesman Michael Poa.

Her statement was in reaction  to ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro’s earlier statement that misuse of funds is an impeachable offense.

“It is a classic 'wag the dog' piece. Dapat magtrabaho muna bago pulitika,” Duterte added.

UNWILLINGNESS TO EXPLAIN

Meanwhile, House Committee on Metro Manila Development Chairperson and Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano delivered a privilege speech on Tuesday, criticizing Vice President Sara Duterte’s unwillingness to explain before the House of Representatives her office’s utilization of funds, including the P125 million confidential funds in 2022.

Valeriano said these were public funds and the Filipino people deserve to know where they went.

“Ganyan po ang proseso dahil tayo ay bahagi ng isang demokratikong republika. Hindi po tayo monarkiya, komunistang rehimen, o diktadurya… Kapag eleksyon, wala tayong iniluluklok na hari o reyna o emperatriz sa pwesto ng kapangyarihan,” the lawmaker said in his privilege speech during the House plenary session.

“Hindi pera ng Pangalawang Pangulo ang Office of the Vice President budget para sa 2022, 2023, 2024, at 2025. Pondo ng bayan iyan. Kaya nga mayroong budget hearings ay para malaman ng “madlang pipol” kung paano ginagastos ng mga opisina ng gobyerno ang pondo ng bayan na ipinagkatiwala sa kanila. Ngunit nitong nakaraang linggo, inilantad ng Vice President Sara Duterte ang kanyang hindi kagandahang asal, at  kawalan ng respeto sa ating Saligang Batas at demokratikong republika,” Valeriano added.

He tagged as “cowardice” the Vice President’s evasiveness during her office’s budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations last Tuesday.

During the OVP’s budget deliberations last week, Duterte had heated discussions with Castro and other lawmakers on the topic of her office’s confidential funds.

Of the P125 million, P73 was disallowed by the Commission on Audit.

Based on COA’s Notice of Disallowance, P69.7 million were disallowed due to the non-submission of documents evidencing the success of information gathering or surveillance activities to support the Acknowledgment Receipts for payments of rewards in cash, various goods and medicines. The remaining P3.5 million were disallowed because they were payments for tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers, but there was no specification that they were intended for confidential operations/activities.

Duterte, however, only repeatedly replied, “We have submitted our responses and we assure full cooperation with the ongoing and unfinished audit.”

“Isang karuwagan at pag-iwas sa tanong ang kanyang sagot. ‘Yan ang nagdudumilat na katotohanang nasaksihan natin sa budget hearing. Takot sa mga lehitmong tanong ng taumbayan,” Valeriano said.

“Maling akala ng Vice President na siya ay hindi pwedeng salungatin ng kahit sino… Maling akala rin ni VP na wala tayong karapatan magtanong ng anumang bagay tungkol sa budget ng kanyang opisina,” he added.

“Sa kanilang 2025 budget proposal, mayroong 977,615 beneficiaries. Nasaan na ito? Totoo ba ito lahat at verified ba? Sabi ng OVP sa kanilang budget proposal nagkaroon din sila ng 793 strategic partnership noong 2023. Nasaan ang listahan ng strategic partnership at mga strategic partnership agreements?” Valeriano asked.

The lawmaker stressed that the Filipino people “deserve better” from its elected officials.

“Hindi nararapat sa atin… ang ayaw magsabi kung saan ginastos ang pondo ng bayan… We deserve better!” he said. - with a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News

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Confidential funds ng OVP, naungkat sa budget hearing