OVP spent ₱125 million confidential funds in 19 days
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 28) — ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro on Monday claimed that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent its ₱125 million confidential funds in 2022 in only 19 days.
Castro, the House deputy minority leader, alleged that the OVP spent the funds in 2022 even without Congressional authorization. She said there was no appropriation for confidential expenses for the OVP under that year's General Appropriations Act.
“Hindi ito authorized at nakita natin there was a contingent fund from the Office of the President na nanggaling itong ₱125 (million) confidential fund (This was not authorized and we saw there was a contingent fund from the Office of the President where this ₱125 million confidential fund came from),” she told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Aug. 28.
In a separate statement, Castro said the Budget department released on Dec. 13, 2022 the 2022 SARO-BMB-C-22-0012004 for the OVP amounting to ₱221,424,000 "to cover Financial Assistance/Subsidy and Confidential Fund per Office of the President Approval dated November 28, 2022." SARO refers to Special Allotment Release Order.
This amount includes the ₱125 million allocated for confidential funds and more than ₱96.4 million for medical assistance, she noted.
"We ask that the OVP provide a detailed public accounting of how the Php 125 million was spent. We hope that Vice President Sara Duterte will use the OVP budget hearing to personally clarify her position on this sensitive issue," Castro wrote in a statement on Saturday.
She said the Commission on Audit had committed to look into the matter and to submit a report to the House appropriations committee.
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