Hontiveros: Amend COA-DBM rules on confi funds amid Sara Duterte's 'questionable' use

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros is calling for the amendment of a Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) joint circular on confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) amid Vice President Sara Duterte's "questionable use" of such funding.

The lawmaker made the call amid the recent revelation of COA at a House of Representatives hearing that the Office of the Vice President has spent - in 11 days - P16 million of its P125 million confidential funds in 2022 for payment of safe houses.

"Talagang katanong-tanong yung ganyang reported use ng OVP at ng DepEd ng confidential funds...Gaya ng nakikita natin ngayon, yung mga pondong ito, peligroso talagang abusuhin at gamitin sa maling paraan," Hontiveros said in a virtual press conference on Friday.

(The reported use of OVP and DepEd of its confidential funds is really questionable. Like what we are seeing now, this kind of funds is prone to abuse.)

"Nais kong ulitin din ang aking panawagan sa mas mahigpit at mas detalyadong auditing at accountability mechanisms sa paggamit niya ng confidential and intelligence funds. Dapat nang amyendahan in particular yung COA-DBM Joint Circular No. 2015-01 o yung guidelines sa reporting at auditing ng CIF," she added.

(I will reiterate my call for stricter and detailed auditing and accountability mechanisms on the use of the CIF. We should amend in particular the COA-DBM Joint Circular No. 2015-01 or the guidelines in the reporting and auditing of CIF.)

Hontiveros said the OVP's use of P16 million in just 11 days is "surprising and alarming" as she further noted that the only proof of this spending are just acknowledgement receipts.

"Hindi malaman para saan at para kanino dahil yung mga acknowledgement receipts ay kulang-kulang pa ang detalye. So hindi resibo ha, acknowledgement receipts lamang," she said.

(We cannot identify the purpose and the proceeds of the funds because the acknowledgement receipts that they submitted lack details. What was submitted were not official receipts, but mere acknowledgement receipts.)

Apart from the OVP's confidential funds, Hontiveros likewise noted the Department of Education under Duterte's leadership's use of certifications from military officials to disburse P15 million of confidential funds for payment of informants in 2023.

The OVP has dismissed the House of Representatives' inquiry into its use of the CIF, saying the investigation is not in aid of legislation.

“It becomes completely unnecessary for the Committee to belabor and pursue a legislative inquiry into the budget utilization and accomplishment of the Office because the data has already been provided during the budget deliberations in the Committee on Appropriations, and that further information needed may be verified through the COA,” the OVP said.

“The absence of any legislative objective or outcome and the lack of clarity in the rules as to jurisdiction and power of the Committee, does not satisfy the requirements enshrined in Article VI, Section 21 of the Constitution on inquiries in aid of legislation. We therefore respectfully request the Committee to terminate its inquiry on the matter,” it added. — BAP, GMA Integrated News