Department of Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday hit back at House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro over her latest allegations that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) allegedly used PHP125 million in confidential funds in the second half of 2022 without congressional authorization.
“The seething disdain overwhelming France Castro these days is hardly concealed even by her capacity to string serious allegations against the Office of the Vice President over the 2022 Confidential Fund,” Duterte said in a statement.
“But today, Ms. Castro doesn’t deserve an explanation because she did not come to class prepared – like a good teacher,” she added.
Duterte added that she hopes “Castro finds gratification and great joy over the thought of my impeachment from office.”
In a news release, Castro cited the OVP 2022 annual audit report released by the Commission on Audit (COA) saying that there was an additional allotment for Confidential Expense during the second semester of CY 2022 amounting to PHP125 million, which is also reflected under the “Supporting Information to the Statement of Financial Performance” found on page 20 of the same document.
“The Vice President needs to explain how she could incur obligations amounting to PHP125 million in confidential expenses in the last six months of 2022 despite the fact that her office has no Congressional authorization to do so for that year,” Castro said.
The party-list lawmaker asked that the OVP provide a detailed public accounting of how the said amount was spent, adding that there is a possibility that the Vice President may face dismissal from office as well as disqualification from public office for “misuse of public funds.”
The Vice President said she welcomes the probe that Castro recommended for the COA.
“All she did was wildly and masterfully arrange some accusations against me and the OVP, which will all be answered once the probe is done and during the budget hearing,” Duterte said.
An impeachment move against Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte over confidential funds in 2022 is still premature as of the moment, according to ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro. Their priority is to prepare for a report from the Commission on Audit (COA) than to file an impeachment complaint against Duterte, she said. “The issue about impeachment is premature yet. It is just being played up too much,” she added. Duterte would have the chance to explain the source of her more than P125 million in confidential funds once she faces Congress to defend the Office of the Vice President’s budget request, she cited. The confidential fund was not part of the 2022 General Appropriations Act, the party- list lawmaker said. “So if there have been confidential expenses, there are confidential funds. So where did those confidential funds come from? Did the President transfer them? This is a question that needs an answer,” she said. She stressed that “we have no plan yet. We will have to look into something that could have been violated in the Condtitution but that (impeachment) is not our main (objective),” she added. She believes it would be difficult to scrutinize confidential funds. “Very scandalous at the time of the OVP… to ask for P500 million. (And) P150 million for the Department of Education,” she said. “These have not been audited. So you conceal the expenses,” she noted. The OVP earlier said its confidential funds were “utilized appropriately” based on the COA’s report.
Department of Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday hit back at House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro over her latest allegations that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) allegedly used PHP125 million in confidential funds in the second half of 2022 without congressional authorization.
“The seething disdain overwhelming France Castro these days is hardly concealed even by her capacity to string serious allegations against the Office of the Vice President over the 2022 Confidential Fund,” Duterte said in a statement.
“But today, Ms. Castro doesn’t deserve an explanation because she did not come to class prepared – like a good teacher,” she added.
Duterte added that she hopes “Castro finds gratification and great joy over the thought of my impeachment from office.”
In a news release, Castro cited the OVP 2022 annual audit report released by the Commission on Audit (COA) saying that there was an additional allotment for Confidential Expense during the second semester of CY 2022 amounting to PHP125 million, which is also reflected under the “Supporting Information to the Statement of Financial Performance” found on page 20 of the same document.
“The Vice President needs to explain how she could incur obligations amounting to PHP125 million in confidential expenses in the last six months of 2022 despite the fact that her office has no Congressional authorization to do so for that year,” Castro said.
The party-list lawmaker asked that the OVP provide a detailed public accounting of how the said amount was spent, adding that there is a possibility that the Vice President may face dismissal from office as well as disqualification from public office for “misuse of public funds.”
The Vice President said she welcomes the probe that Castro recommended for the COA.
“All she did was wildly and masterfully arrange some accusations against me and the OVP, which will all be answered once the probe is done and during the budget hearing,” Duterte said.