Solons: VP Sara’s latest remarks aimed at diverting attention from P612.5M confi funds

Several leaders of the House of Representatives on Sunday rallied behind Speaker Martin Romualdez, saying Vice President Sara Duterte’s latest tirades were a “desperate attempt” to divert the public's attention from issues surrounding her offices' use of confidential funds.

In a statement, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., House Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez, and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe said that Romualdez and the House of Representatives “have consistently adhered to transparency and good governance.”

This came after Duterte’s controversial remark that she ordered someone to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez, if an alleged plot against her succeeds.

Duterte also earlier claimed that Romualdez wanted her dead, and that he would not do it inside the House complex.

“‘Yung mga paratang ni Vice President Duterte, istorya, drama, at budol-budol lang ‘yan. Sanay sila diyan, eksperto sila diyan sa budol-budol,” Suarez said.

(Vice President Duterte's allegations are merely stories, drama, and bluff. They are used to that, they are experts at peddling this.)

“Diversionary lang ‘yun sa di maipaliwanang na paggastos ng P612.5 million na confidential funds na tinanggap ng OVP (P500 million) and Department of Education (DepEd) noong siya ay education secretary pa,” he added.

(That’s just to divert attention from the unexplained utilization of P612.5 million confidential funds received by OVP (P500 million) and Department of Education (DepEd) when she was still education secretary.)

Gonzales, meanwhile, advised Duterte to consult a healthcare professional as she might be “hallucinating.”

“Malinis ang report ng Commission on Audit (COA) sa paggamit ng pera ng taong bayan ng House of Representatives under Speaker Romualdez, hindi gaya ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) under VP Duterte,” he said.

(The report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the use of public funds by the House of Representatives under Speaker Romualdez is clean, unlike the OVP under VP Duterte.)

Dalipe also denied the allegation that Romualdez’s supposed plan to run for President was what urged the House to look into the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.

“The House wanted to protect public funds and acted on the COA report questioning hundreds of millions of pesos in CIF expenses by Madam Sara Duterte as Vice President and as DepEd secretary,” he said.

Dalipe earlier said he believes that what Duterte has been doing was all “planned,” thus appealing to the public not to be deceived.

Lawmakers involved in the probe have raised questions related to state auditors' findings that the OVP’s use of confidential funds was accompanied by inconsistent acknowledgement receipts.

Duterte also earlier stayed at the office of her brother Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte after she visited her chief of staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez at the House detention facility where she was being held after being cited for contempt.

The House committee on good government and public accountability on Saturday warned that Duterte's alleged interference in the transfer of Lopez to the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City has set a "dangerous precedent" for abuse.—RF, GMA Integrated News