Sara Duterte: 'Ang kontra sa confidential funds ay kontra sa kapayapaan'

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte once again defended her offices’ use of confidential funds, saying that those against the allocation for such are “naturally assumed to have insidious motivations.”

During the 122nd police service anniversary celebration of the Police Regional Office 13 in Butuan City, Duterte stressed the role of confidential funds in maintaining security by providing agencies the necessary resources to address certain challenges.

“Anyone who attacks or undermines funds allocated for peace and order is naturally assumed to have insidious motivations. Such actions go against the protection and well-being of the citizenry. Those who seek to compromise the security and development of our nation jeopardize the very fabric of our society and hinder our progress,” she said.

“Tandaan ninyo—kung sino man ang kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayapaan ay kalaban ng bayan,” she added.

(Remember—whoever is against confidential funds is against peace. Whoever is against peace is an enemy of the nation.)

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is seeking P500 million worth of confidential funds for fiscal year 2024.

The Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte also leads as Secretary, also proposed P150 million confidential funds for next year.

Last week, House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co said that the House of Representatives will realign the confidential and intelligence funds of the OVP, DepEd, and other government agencies to augment the budgets of intelligence and security forces.

Co said the recipients of the realigned allocations would be those tasked to address escalating threats in the West Philippine Sea.

“The country’s safety and security are of paramount importance," Co said.

"To protect our territorial integrity from external threats, Congress is giving top priority to agencies directly in charge protecting the country’s safety and securing its borders,” he added.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, for his part, said the Senate also intends to reallocate unnecessary funds in certain agencies to the intelligence agencies, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Asked if the confidential funds lodged under the OVP and DepEd will be included, Zubiri said, “We shall review all agencies.”

2022 confidential funds

Duterte is also being questioned by several members of Congress as well as other critics for the OVP’s P125 million confidential expenses in 2022 even if such an item was not provided under last year's General Appropriations Act.

For her part, she said that the allocation of confidential funds “should not be constrained by time.”

“It matters not whether it takes one day or one year of spending. What truly matters is the safety and security of our people. We cannot cap the importance of protecting our citizens based on arbitrary timeframes. We must remain committed to providing the necessary resources for our security forces to fulfill their duties and protect our nation,” Duterte said.

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier disclosed that the OVP spent the P125 million confidential funds in 11 days in December 2022.

The OVP, however, clarified that the "actual implementation" of the P125 million confidential fund was done in 19 days, not 11. 

Gaslighting

Minority Leader France Castro, a critic of the confidential funds of OVP and DepEd, accused the vice president of "gaslighting those who want transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds."

In a statement, Castro said Duterte contradicted herself with her latest tirade, given that sheearlier said that her office can live without confidential funds.

"Why is she now fighting tooth and nail just to retain her secret confidential funds? Why is she now gasligthing those who want transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds?" Castro, who represents ACT Teachers party-list at the House of Representatives, said.

The opposition lawmaker further alleged that Duterte is calling her critics enemies of the state just so she can keep her P650 million confidential fund under the proposed 2024 budget intact. — with Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ/KBK, GMA Integrated News