Vice President Sara Duterte has challenged members of the House of Representatives to investigate the Office of the President (OP) as well, since it has been found by government auditors to be the largest spender of confidential and intelligence funds for 2023.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Duterte argued that if lawmakers are going to pass laws on the use of confidential funds, they should not focus only on her office, the Office of the Vice President (OVP). She said that instead of just targeting the OVP, they should randomly check all government offices that handle confidential funds, including the OP.
She pointed out that the OP, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., spent P2.25 billion on confidential funds and P2.31 billion on intelligence funds, totaling P4.56 billion in 2023. Duterte asked why the OP wasn’t being investigated, as it has a much larger budget for such funds.
The lawmakers, however, defended the OP’s spending, saying it is needed for national security, as the President is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. In response, the House of Representatives has filed new bills to make the use of confidential funds more transparent and to set limits on how much can be spent.
This discussion began after questions were raised about how the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), when Duterte was Education Secretary, used P612 million in confidential funds. Duterte explained that her office had already been cleared by the Commission on Audit (COA) for two quarters, but the topic is still being questioned in the House.
Duterte explained that she is not avoiding the questions but is not answering because the topic involves sensitive national security matters. She also criticized the ongoing investigations, calling them a political attack. Duterte emphasized that if lawmakers want respect, they must first show respect to the Office of the Vice President.
Additionally, Duterte is facing two impeachment complaints. One was filed by advocacy groups accusing her of corruption and high crimes. The other was filed by over 70 representatives who allege that she misused confidential funds.
