VP Sara Duterte told by lawmakers: Stop ‘squid’ tactics

Vice President Sara Duterte and former VP Leni Robredo

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has been told by both opposition and administration lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Sunday to stop her supposed diversionary tactics.

They also called on the Vice President to explain the Commission on Audit’s (COA) adverse findings on her office’s spending.

The Vice President needed to explain the COA’s report that her office spent P500 million, with some P237 million flagged as questionable, in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) within seven months, said Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun.

Duterte’s visit to her predecessor Leni Robredo in Naga City has also been criticized by House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, calling it as a “squid tactic” to distract Filipinos from the Office of the Vice President’s alleged irregular spending history since 2022.

READ MORE:

VP Duterte invited to Peñafrancia Festival, met Robredo in Naga – OVP

VP Sara Duterte says ‘never again’ teaming up with Marcoses

Sara Duterte refuses to take oath at House hearing

“While the visit is described as personal and not political, we must remain vigilant and focused on the more significant issue at hand, [which is] holding Vice President Duterte accountable for the P125 million in confidential funds spent over just 11 days in 2022,” Castro, the ACT party list representative, said in a statement.

The lawmaker was referring to Duterte’s visit to the former Vice President’s home in Naga City during the Peñafrancia Festival. Robredo described the visit as a conversation of a personal nature and not political.

Unanswered questions

“We should not be sidetracked by these maneuvers,” Castro said. “The public deserves transparency and accountability, particularly on matters involving public funds. The questions surrounding the use of these confidential funds must be addressed and clarified.”

“Since she’s already gone to Naga, VP Duterte might as well emulate former VP Robredo in facing the budgetary briefing and plenary deliberations of the OVP budget,” she said.

The plenary debates for the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget is set on Monday.

Castro urged the public to focus on “demanding accountability and transparency from our leaders.”

“This is crucial for democracy and governance,” she said, reiterating the need to prioritize accountability over personal alliances.

“While personal ties exist, it should not overshadow the need for accountability in public service,” she said.

READ MORE:

 VP rebuked by House Panel via vote — and ‘pusit’ lunch?

Cebu City’s public Wi-Fi project stalled over budget concerns

Soon-Ruiz promises to prioritize Mandaue’s 2025 budget review

Khonghun advised Duterte against being evasive in publicly addressing the COA’s red flags on her office’s CIF spending.

“The P73 million disallowed by COA is just the beginning of a broader pattern of seeming misuse or mismanagement of government funds, as an additional P164 million has been flagged in audit observation memorandums (AOMs),” said the neophyte lawmaker.

The P73 million, for which the COA issued a notice of disallowance (ND), was part of the P125 million in confidential funds spent by the OVP in just 11 days in December 2022.

“We are seeing a disturbing pattern of misuse or mismanagement of government funds. Vice President Duterte needs to explain this to the public. She owes the Filipino people transparency and accountability,” Khonghun said, noting that the COA has flagged a total of P237 million from the OVP’s CIF, with P73.3 million already disallowed and P164 million highlighted in AOMs.

Intelligence funds

A summary of the COA findings, presented by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing in the OVP’s budget briefing, showed that the OVP was allocated a total P625 million in CIF for the last quarter of 2022 and all of 2023.

Suansing noted that based on the COA reports, the OVP spent its P125 million confidential funds for the fourth quarter of 2022 in just 11 days, which meant an average of P11.364 million spent per day. The COA issued an ND for P73.3 million of the P125 million, due to the absence of supporting documents for the expenditure, and ordered the Vice President and other “accountable officials” to return the amount.

For 2023, the lawmaker pointed out that the COA issued AOMs detailing its adverse findings on the OVP’s use of the CIF, amounting to P125 million every quarter, where state auditors flagged expenses totaling P67 million for the first quarter; P62 million for the second quarter; and P35 million for the third quarter.