Palace Calls for Probe into VP Sara Duterte Past Projects as Davao Mayor

Palace Calls for Probe into VP Sara Duterte Davao Projects Amid Fund Scandal

SARA DUTERTE – The Palace has called for an investigation into Vice President Sara Duterte’s past projects as Davao City mayor amid questions over the use of confidential funds.

Malacañang has called for an investigation into the projects funded by Vice President Sara Duterte during her time as mayor of Davao City. This comes after the release of a list of alleged beneficiaries of her office’s confidential funds who reportedly have no official records with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro raised the issue after Duterte admitted during a Senate hearing that her office’s confidential funds had been used for projects such as free rides, free meals, and an entrepreneurship program—expenditures that are not typically allowed under confidential fund guidelines.

“If you can see, more similar receipts have been discovered, have been examined and I think at this point in time, we should also look back, how did (Vice President) Sara spent her huge confidential funds at the time that she was then a mayor? She received at least P460 million for four years during her time, so how did she spend that?” Castro told ABS-CBN News.

According to the report, Castro noted that Duterte had received at least ₱460 million in confidential funds over four years during her tenure as Davao City mayor. “So maybe she is into these kinds of transactions. Maybe she did not imagine that it (would) come to this point that all her receipts would be put into question,” she added.

The controversy deepened after House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Representative Paolo Ortega revealed the names of the supposed recipients of the Vice President’s confidential funds. Ortega said the beneficiaries—identified as “Jay Kamote,” “Miggy Mango,” and five individuals named “Dodong” (including “Dodong Alcala,” “Dodong Bina,” “Dodong Bunal,” “Dodong Darong,” and “Dodong S. Barok”)—could not be verified through PSA records.

Ortega argued that the existence of such unusual names further strengthens the case against Duterte, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in December for alleged mismanagement of confidential funds and other issues.

This is not the first time questions have been raised about Duterte’s disbursement records. Last year, lawmakers questioned the inclusion of names such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Pia Piatos-Lim,” “Renan Piatos,” and “Xiaome Ocho” in her office’s financial reports.

Duterte has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has challenged the legality of her impeachment before the Supreme Court.