Vice President Sara Duterte | PHOTO: Official facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Office of the Vice President (OVP) did not request confidential funds from the proposed P6.3-trillion national budget for 2025, Vice President Sara Duterte announced.
鈥淔or the Office of the Vice President, no, wala kaming proposal ng confidential funds for 2025,鈥� she told reporters in an ambush interview on Saturday in Cebu City.
(For the Office of the Vice President, no, we did not propose any confidential funds for 2025.)
搁贰础顿:听DBCC seeks P6.352-T nat鈥檒 budget for 2025
Duterte had previously given up P500 million in confidential and intelligence funds for the OVP in the proposed 2024 national budget.
In a statement received by Senator Sonny Angara鈥檚 office, the vice president emphasized that her office鈥檚 budget proposal for 2024 would focus on ensuring the implementation of its programs against poverty, among other priorities.
鈥淵our honor, actually, we are in receipt of a statement from the VP [and] we discussed [it] earlier. According to her, the OVP can only propose a budget to support the safe implementation of its programs to alleviate poverty and promote [the] general welfare of Filipino families,鈥� he said, reading Duterte鈥檚 statement before Senate Minority Leader Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III.
READ: Sara Duterte gives up P500-M OVP secret fund 鈥� Sonny Angara
鈥淣onetheless, they will no longer pursue the confidential and intelligence funds or the confidential funds. And the reason why is because it seems to be divisive, and as the VP, she swore and [took] an oath to keep the country peaceful and strong,鈥� he added.