黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The powerful House committee on appropriations agreed on Tuesday to subpoena the Commission on Audit鈥檚 (COA) reports on the confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) given in 2022 and 2023 to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), both led by Vice President Sara Duterte.

The motion to issue a subpoena was proposed by the Makabayan bloc composed of ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, at the hearing of the committee led by Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo on COA鈥檚 proposed 2025 budget.

搁贰础顿:听Sara asks SC to dismiss petitions vs P125-M OVP confidential funds

鈥淏y virtue of the oversight power of the committee on appropriations, the motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum requiring the COA to submit its audit reports on the use of confidential funds for fiscal year 2022 to 2023鈥攈earing no objections鈥攊s carried,鈥� Quimbo said.

Castro was the first one to bring up the issue regarding the OVP, which reportedly spent P125 million in confidential funds within 11 days in 2022.

This finding, along with the revelation that Duterte had sought P500 million and P150 million, respectively, for the OVP and DepEd in 2024, triggered public outrage and eventually led to the House of Representatives stripping both agencies of the secret funds.

Duterte, who resigned as education secretary last month, earlier said that she would not seek confidential funds for her office next year.

Castro鈥檚 concern

In Tuesday鈥檚 hearing, Castro asked COA to produce its audit observation memorandum on the Vice President鈥檚 CIF, and whether the state auditor had issued any notices of disallowance.

鈥淲e [need to know] if the funds were properly used,鈥� Castro told the Inquirer in a separate statement. 鈥淚f not and the COA has issued a recommendation of notice of disallowance, then the money has to be returned to the nation鈥檚 coffers and be used for social services like education,鈥� she said.

Up until now, Duterte has yet to explain how the secret funds issued to her office and DepEd for the two fiscal years in question were spent. But she earlier said there was nothing irregular in the way the money was spent, adding that they had already submitted the required liquidation reports.

COA鈥檚 dilemma

Before the motion to issue a subpoena was approved by the House committee, Brosas argued that deliberations on the COA proposed budget for next year should be deferred unless it reveals its findings on the OVP and DepEd鈥檚 confidential funds.

In response, COA Chair Gamaliel Cordoba said they were unable to release their audit report due to the nature of the funds involved.

鈥淥ur position is that we will wait for the subpoena and then we will study the matter,鈥� Cordoba told Quimbo.

In a separate statement, former lawmaker and Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares said they had uncovered information that the OVP spent P125 million in secret funds from Feb. 6 to March 29 last year, or within 52 days.

鈥淲orse, she again spent another P125 million from April 25 to June 30 [last year] or just over two months,鈥� he added.

During that period, Colmenares said the OVP spent P22 million for the 鈥減urchase of information鈥� and another P27 million for 鈥減ayment of reward鈥� without explaining the two items.

Duterte also reported spending P82 million for 鈥渇ood aid,鈥� which was not allowed under the law, according to the Bayan Muna official.

鈥淔ood aid is not intelligence work and cannot be a part of CIF expense. Since this supposed 鈥榝ood aid鈥� is not allowed for CIF spending, Congress must require the OVP to produce the receipt of this spending, as this is no different from auditable government projects distributing aid,鈥� Colmenares said.