By Junex Doronio
SHORT OF SAYING THAT THE COUNTRY’S SECOND-HIGHEST OFFICIAL IS OBSESSED with confidential funds, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro has urged Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte to focus instead more on improving the quality of Philippine education.
Castro noted that Duterte seemed to be insinuating that she can no longer be scrutinized about how she will be spending her funds or else those who do so will be labeled an enemy of the state.
“Ibig sabihin nito na hindi na natin siya puwedeng matanong on accountability and transparency. Parang hindi siya makakakilos ng walang confidential funds for peace and order, national development and other related matters to her program,” Castro quipped in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.
During a speech in Butuan City on Wednesday, October 4, Duterte lambasted those who oppose the P650 million confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education.
“Kung sino man kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayapaan ay kalaban ng bayan,” Duterte said.
However, it can be recalled that Duterte also told senators during the OVP and DepEd’s budget briefing that she “can live without confidential funds, but of course, our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility.”
The House of Representatives led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez decided to realign the confidential funds to agencies protecting the West Philippine Sea and other agencies directly engaged in surveillance and intelligence gathering.
(ai/mnm)
