Romualdez sees improved relations with VP Sara after confidential fund tussle

Speaker Martin Romualdez said Monday he expects the relationship between the House of Representatives and Vice President Sara Duterte to improve following the latter's decision to let go of the P500 million confidential fund under the proposed 2024 national budget.

"I believe that’s the right decision ([on the OVP's part). We hail Vice President Sara's decision," Romualdez said in a chance interview.

Asked if he expects the working relationship between the House and OVP will smoothen out, the Speaker replied "I'm always...very, very hopeful."

"As they always say, there will always be differences but we will always work towards resolving those differences for the service of the Filipino people, that’s our primordial concern," he said.

In addition, Romualdez said the Marcos-Duterte alliance, dubbed as Uniteam during the 2022 presidential campaign, remains intact.

"We always work together. It is still a Uniteam. The President always wants us to work together, so we will always strive for that," he said.

"We will band together and unite as one for the service of the Filipino," he added.

The OVP first got flak this year when it was revealed in a Commission on Audit report that it got and liquidated P125 million worth of confidential funds in December 2022 even if such provision is not listed as a budget item under the 2022 national budget law.

The P500 million and P150 million confidential fund under the proposed 2024 budget for the OVP and Department of Education (DepEd), respectively, agencies both headed by Duterte, also drew massive criticism.

The Vice President earlier said those who are against the allocation are against peace and therefore, enemies of the state.

The Vice President's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, also defended his daughter from proposing such huge amounts for confidential funds, saying the House's move to remove such funds under the 2024 proposed budget is a political ploy by Romualdez against his daughter.

But Romualdez, who was asked on Monday if he still trust the Dutertes in aftermath of such unpleasant comments, replied, "of course."

During the Senate plenary deliberations on the budgets of OVP and DepEd last week, the younger Duterte said the agencies will no longer seek the confidential funds

The House earlier removed the confidential funds of five agencies including the OVP and DepEd.—AOL, GMA Integrated News