Solon: VP Sara's use of confidential funds is impeachable

Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged failure to comply with the rules for 2022's P73 million confidential funds was grounds for impeachment, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said Friday.

The Commission on Audit (COA) had issued a Notice of Disallowance on P73 million out of the P125 million confidential funds the Office of the Vice President under Duterte disbursed in 11 days.

State auditors issued the Notice of Disallowance on the P73 million confidential funds on the following grounds:

• absence of documentation on the success of information gathering and/or surveillance activities to support the acknowledgment receipts for around P69 million in payments of rewards in cash, various goods, and medicines.
• the remaining P3.5 million of the disallowed P73 million “were used for payment for tables, chairs, desktop computers, and printers without specifying that they were intended for the confidential operations/activities undertaken by the OVP, non-compliant with the requirement of Item 4.8.4 of the Joint Circular governing the use of confidential funds.”

COA Assistant Commissioner Alexander Juliano explained during the budget deliberations of the OVP’s P2 billion budget proposal for 2025 that the Notice of Disallowance meant that the expenditure was “either irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable.”

Juliano, however, also said that a Notice of Disallowance could be appealed.

"COA's findings reveal a glaring misuse of public funds. It is becoming apparent that Duterte was banking on the supposed veil of secrecy around Confidential Funds to hide her unlawful use of people's money. Vice President Duterte broke the law. This is a clear betrayal of public trust,” said Castro.

Aside from the COA’s issuance of a Notice of Disallowance, Castro argued that the OVP’s accomplishment report that it submitted to the COA also revealed suspicious activities, such as the use of P125 million confidential funds in 132 surveillance activities in which she gave out P99 million in payment and rewards (in cash and in-kind) and spent P26 million for travel expenses and safe houses.

The COA provided the House Appropriations Committee with the OVP's accomplishment report in compliance with the lawmakers’ subpoena.

“[The spending took place] all during the last 11 days of 2022, including the Christmas and yearend holidays... this story simply does not hold up,” Castro said.

"Hindi naman pwedeng gagawa ng kalokohan tapos pababayaan na lang, dapat may accountability. Her misuse of confidential funds is an impeachable offense. Sa paglulustay ng confidential funds, sa panahong kulang na kulang ang pondo para sa serbisyong publiko, at sa pagtangging ipaliwanag ito sa taumbayan, malinaw na may batayan ang impeachment,” Castro added.

(She cannot misuse the funds and get away with it. There should be accountability. Misuse of these funds amid lack of funding for social services and refusal to explain the spending are clear grounds for impeachment.)

In addition, Castro said the same pattern could be seen in the way Vice President Duterte spent P375 million of the P500 million in confidential funds appropriated for her office in 2023.

"In short, Duterte's misuse of funds apparently continued into the next year and could involve a much higher amount,” Castro said.

“As such, we in the Makabayan bloc stand by our call that confidential funds should be abolished because these secret discretionary funds are really prone to corruption,” Castro added.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the Vice President's camp and will publish them as soon as they become available.

The Vice President repeatedly refused to answer questions on the confidential fund during the budget deliberations of the OVP’s P2 billion budget proposal for 2025.

She argued that this had nothing to do with the proposed 2025 budget and the pending Supreme Court cases and COA audit measures on the confidential fund.

“Where in the budget proposal of 2025 is the item confidential funds? In the aid of your legislation, which is included in your rules, the discussion should be germane to the topic. The topic is the 2025 budget proposal,” the Vice President said.

The Vice President also questioned Castro’s presence in the House amid a lower court conviction on endangering minors. The case is under appeal.

During the same proceedings, the Vice President also said that impeachment efforts orchestrated by House members against her were documented. — DVM, GMA Integrated News