FILE PHOTO: Vice President Sara Duterte attends a House probe into the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), Nov. 25, 2024. 黑料社 / NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The probe of a House of Representatives panel into the budgets of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) under the administration of Sara Duterte will continue, according to a lawmaker.
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said the investigation would now shift to the use of public money outside the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte鈥檚 offices.
Chua is the chair of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which has been looking into alleged anomalies in the utilization of OVP and DepEd budgets under Duterte.
According to Chua, they will create a 鈥測ear-ender brief鈥� of what happened in their panel hearings during the past seven weeks, including the committee鈥檚 initial findings related to Duterte鈥檚 confidential funds in the OVP and DepEd.
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鈥淪upposedly, tatapusin na. But unfortunately, 鈥榶ung ibang kasama nating miyembro ni-raise nila 鈥榶ung issue na papaano 鈥榶ung ibang [pondo], not only about confidential funds,鈥� Chua told reporters in an ambush interview before the hearing.
(Supposedly, it will be finished. But unfortunately, other members of the panel raised the issue on the other funds, not only about confidential funds.)
鈥淪o we have decided that after the hearing today na mag-me-meet kami. Pero siguro by January, so kung papaano namin i-pu-push 鈥榶ung kung pa-paano kami mag-move forward,鈥� he added.
(So we have decided that after the hearing today, we will meet. But maybe by January, we can talk about how we will push forward.)
READ: VP Sara Duterte faces 2nd impeachment rap
Chua earlier said that panel members decided to end its inquiry into the OVP and DepEd鈥檚 confidential funds before it becomes an 鈥渆xercise in futility鈥� since groups have filed separate impeachment complaints against Duterte.
During the previous hearings, two OVP officials admitted to releasing confidential funds worth millions of pesos to Col. Raymund Lachica, who was the head of Duterte鈥檚 security group, and Col. Dennis Nolasco.
OVP Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta revealed that she left all the confidential funds to Lachica, who was allegedly tasked to manage them.
Similarly, former DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda said he released confidential funds to Nolasco, who was supposedly assigned by Duterte to disburse them.