Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Snubs Questions about 2022 Confidential Funds Spending
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President had a heated exchange with some members of the House of Representatives over the OVP’s proposed budget for 2025.
The budget proposal of the difference offices and agencies of the government is being scrutinized in the Senate and the House of Representatives prior to their approval. For 2025, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) requested for a P2 billion budget.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) previously expressed that the 2025 budget proposal of the OVP does not anymore include Confidential Funds. In 2023, Duterte was grilled for her quick spending of the Php 125 Confidential Funds of her office.
However, amid having zero confidential funds in the 2025 budget proposal of the OVP, during a Senate hearing, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Senator Risa Hontiveros had a heated exchange after the Senator questioned her P10 million allotted for the distribution of the book that the Vice President authored.
The said book was entitled Isang Kaibigan. The Vice President and the OVP stressed that it’s purpose is to encourage the learners to read. The OVP defended the Vice President saying that the book has a good intention. Amid the criticisms, Duterte claimed that she will write another book.
Recently, the budget proposal of the office Vice Pres. Sara Duterte for 2025 was discussed in the House of Representatives. However, she also had a heated exchange with some of the members of the House.
ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro questioned where and how the OVP spent its 2022 Confidential Funds stressing that they need to know it to be guided on the discussion of the current budget proposal. However, the Vice President snubbed the question asserting that the hearing is for the 2025 budget.
Castro also pointed out the “report about the notice of disallowance” saying that the Commission on Audit (COA) has disallowed P73 million out of the P125 million CIF budget of the OVP in 2022. The Vice President also snubbed the question.
“On the budget for 2024, ‘yung Vice President na rin ang nagsabi na slow and low utilization… Pero syempre comment ko lang, mas mabilis siya sa confidential funds. 100% in 11 days,” the ACT Teachers Party List Representative said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte turned to House budget committee senior vice chairperson Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo over the “snide comment”. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to the defense of Duterte saying that the issue on the 2022 CIFs spending has been laid to rest. However, Quimbo stressed that the fund may have a continuing appropriation.
“It’s a big amount of money. I believe we owe it to the people,” Quimbo said.
During the hearing at the House, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte requested that the chairperson of the Finance Committee will preside over the inquiry. Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo responded saying that it is not within her power.
“Pasensya na po, hindi kasama sa poder ninyo ang pagfa-fire ng presiding officer ng hearing na ito,” Quimbo said.
The deliberation of the 2025 budget proposal of the Office of the Vice President was deferred by the House panel to September 10.