VP SARA MUST EXPLAIN HOW SHE SPENT P125-M CONFI FUNDS IN JUST 11 DAYS — CASTRO

By Junex Doronio

NO CEASEFIRE with Vice President Sara Duterte despite her decision to give up asking for P650 million confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

This was the firm stance of House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro who said on Friday that VP Duterte’s decision to surrender her request next year will not stop calls for her to explain the P125 million confidential funds she spent in the last 11 days of 2022.

“Hindi pa rin ito magiging sagka para igiit pa rin na ipaliwanag ng Office of the Vice President itong P125 million na ginamit niya, ni-request nya,” Castro said in an online press conference.

The ACT Teachers party-list representative said she believes that Duterte decided to abandon her confidential funds because it had become unpopular.

“Kailangan nya pa rin ipaliwanag saan ito ginamit at …. kung hindi niya ito maipaliwanag at hindi niya ito nagamit ayon sa probisyon noong.… joint circular ng iba’t ibang ahensya ay dapat na ibalik niya,” Castro stressed.

To recall, the decision of the House of Representatives to strip VP Duterte’s P650-million confidential funds for 2024 was made “in the best interest of national security.”

Lawmakers crossed party lines to rally behind Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and castigated former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for making threats or insinuating harm against Castro.

“Napilitan na sigurong magdesisyon ng ganito ang Vice president dahil talagang naging mabaho itong confidential fund at talagang inayawan ng taumbayan,” Castro noted.

She added: “Isa pa rin sa nagtulak siguro sa naging desisyon ni VP na ayawan na itong confidential fund dahil nagiging unpopular na yung kanyang stand at nakita naman niya maging ang kanyang mga kaalyado dito sa Kongreso ay pumanig doon sa desisyon na i-abolish sa ahensya nya at sa ibang ahensya itong confidential fund,” Castro added.

Castro urged the House of Representatives to conduct an investigation regarding the use of confidential funds to pave the way for legislation prohibiting its use.

(AI/MNM)