SC orders OVP to comment on 2022 confidential funds petition

The Supreme Court ordered the Office of the Vice President and other respondents to comment on a petition seeking the return of the OVP's P125 million confidential funds to the government treasury.

In a 2-page notice, the SC En Banc ordered the OVP, represented by Vice President Sara Duterte, and others to file their comment within 10 days from notice without giving due course to the petition.

Other respondents were the Office of the Executive Secretary, represented by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, and the Department of Budget and Management, represented by Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

When sought for comment, DBM Undersecretary for Media Affairs and Community Relations, and Spokesperson said Pangandaman had “taken cognizance of the matter” and the DBM was “working closely with the Office of the Solicitor General.”

Several individuals filed the petition with the SC on November 7.

Aside from seeking the P125 million confidential funds' return, the petition also asked the High Court to declare the transfer as “unconstitutional.”

The petitioners were former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Augusto Lagman, Constitution framer Christian Monsod, former Department of Finance Undersecretary Maria Cielo Magno, Chairperson of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Imelda Nicolas, Atty. Ibarra Gutierrez III, Katrina Monsod, Ray Paolo Santiago, Honorio Poblador III, Vicente Romano III, Rex Drilon, and Miguel Jugo.

The SC also required the petitioners to submit an electronic copy of the petition and its annexes, as well as a declaration that the copy is complete and a true copy, within five days from notice.

Back in August, Vice President Duterte maintained that there was "nothing irregular or unauthorized about its spending."

It was the Commission on Audit (COA) that initially disclosed that the OVP spent P125 million in 11 days in December 2022.

House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo, who stood as sponsor for the OVP's 2024 budget, defended the confidential fund during the House deliberations arguing that the confidential expenses were spent under the OVP’s good governance program provided under the national budget law.

Quimbo's statement comes after House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro argued that the OVP was not entitled to receive the amount because the OVP’s budget did not expressly provide for the confidential fund.

On November 15, several lawyers, priests, and law students also asked the Supreme Court to declare the order and circular that covers the disbursement of confidential and intelligence funds null and void.

Duterte said she would let her legal team respond to the petition. — DVM, GMA Integrated News