MANILA, Philippines – An opposition lawmaker cornered the Sara Duterte-led Office of the Vice President (OVP) into confirming that the P125 million received by her office in 2022 was disbursed via cash, but it insisted the confidential fund was exhausted in 19 days, not 11.

“Was the P125 million a cash disbursement?” House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela asked the OVP during House plenary deliberations on its proposed 2024 budget on Wednesday, September 27.

“That is correct,” Davao de Oro 1st District Representative Maria Carmen Zamora, speaking on behalf of OVP as its budget sponsor, replied.

Brosas was taken aback by the disclosure, unable to imagine how over a hundred million pesos was spent in less than three weeks.

“Did you hire vehicles, rent safe houses? How many informers and intelligence officers did you have?” Brosas asked.

Duterte’s office, as always, resorted to generalizations on how the funds were used, reading a 2015 government circular that listed the ways confidential funds can be utilized.

“The proposed confidential expenses will be used for the safe implementation of the programs and activities of OVP, which are being delivered through its central office and newly established satellite offices,” Zamora said, repeating the same script two more times during the nearly two-hour debates.

“Through the satellite offices, the OVP aims to bring its programs to other areas with a vision to target poverty reduction, threats to peace and order, and achieve sustainable development. In support of its goal, surveillance activities will be undertaken to assess security threats and ensure successful implementation,” she added.

OVP disputes COA finding

The Commission on Audit (COA) shocked the public when it said on Monday, September 25, that the OVP exhausted its P125-million confidential fund within a shorter period of time than what was initially reported, but Duterte’s office disputed that.

It is unclear which agencies would lose confidential and intelligence funds.

“During the interpellation of the COA, it said the OVP spent the P125 million in confidential funds within 11 days. Do you confirm that?” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers asked the OVP.

“It is inaccurate. The basis of the report of COA for the utilization of the fund starts from December 20 to 31, and that is 11 days. However, the implementation of the program started on the day the Special Allotment Release Order was released on December 13, 2022. Immediately after the release of SARO, the implementation has already started, but the actual payment based on the COA report only started on December 20,” Zamora said, replying on the OVP’s behalf.

Zamora added that the OVP has not received the audit observation memorandum from COA, contrary to the state auditing agency’s claim that it has issued the AOM to the OVP on September 19.

Need for confidential funds questioned

Hours before the deliberations on the OVP’s budget began, congressional leaders committed to reallocate the confidential and intelligence funds to agencies fighting for fishermen’s rights, amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel asserted the OVP’s request for confidential funds was not in line with the House’s intent to give the funds to agencies with intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

“For the record, confidential fund is not only used for the West Philippine Sea. It is used for monitoring and surveillance of whatever programs of the Office of the Vice President,” Zamora said.

“The OVP is still insisting that they be given [confidential funds]. Will you have Libreng Sakay (free transport) to the West Philippine Sea or contested islands?” Manuel asked sarcastically.

Libreng Sakay is one of the social services projects of the OVP, which Zamora insisted is not where confidential funds go.

The Makabayan bloc insisted that these are among the “redundant” projects of the OVP since there are executive agencies that should take the lead on the matter.

“The OVP works closely with several agencies of the executive department. The OVP has a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Transportation for the Libreng Sakay program,” Zamora said.

For 2024, the OVP wants P500 million in confidential funds, similar to what it received for the current fiscal year.

Duterte is in hot water for issues on transparency regarding her secret funds, particularly in 2022.

Her office was not supposed to have such funds in the first place, since she only continued using the budget of her predecessor Leni Robredo, whose office did not request confidential funds in 2022.

It was later established that she sought confidential funds from the Department of Budget and Management, and the request was approved by the Office of the President.

Critics have flagged the release of funds as unconstitutional since the power to appropriate lies in Congress, although her defenders have come up with various justifications on her behalf. – Rappler.com