House panel proposes sweeping reforms on confidential funds
THE House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is pushing for sweeping reforms in the allocation and management of confidential funds following its investigation into the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte.
Committee chair Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua underscored the need for greater transparency and accountability, particularly for funds flagged with irregularities.
“Ang isa po sa mga recommendation namin dyan ay ‘pag ang confidential fund ay nabigyan ng Notice of Disallowance, ito po ay mawawala po ‘yung confidentiality ng nature ng pondo at ito’y pwede nang usisain nang maigi,” Chua told
Bantay Balita sa Kongreso sa Dobol B hosted by Nimfa Ravelo and Isa Avendaño Umali over dzBB Sunday.
Chua also recommended restricting confidential funds to specific government agencies directly involved in national security, intelligence gathering, and peace and order.
“Dapat limitado lang ang mga ahensya o mga departamento na binibigyan ng confidential fund, lalung-lalo na ‘yung mga ahensya at departamento na walang kinalaman sa intelligence gathering, sa national security, saka sa peace and order,” he pointed out.
The committee’s investigation revealed major irregularities in the use of confidential funds, including falsified acknowledgment receipts, disbursements to unauthorized individuals, and questionable expenses for safe houses and youth leadership summits.
These findings raised serious concerns about the lack of safeguards and oversight in the handling of confidential funds.
Chua explained that the committee’s reforms aim to increase accountability by lifting confidentiality protections on funds flagged with Notices of Disallowance, enabling a more thorough review of their utilization.
The legislative measures arising from the investigation will be filed in House of Representatives this coming week as part of efforts to ensure greater transparency and integrity in the use of confidential funds.
Chua’s panel, commonly known as the House Blue Ribbon Committee, has been investigating allegations of mismanagement of P500 million in OVP confidential funds—allocated at P125 million per quarter—from late 2022 through the first three quarters of 2023, based on findings from the Commission on Audit (COA).
COA previously issued a Notice of Disallowance for ₱73 million of the initial P125 million in OVP confidential funds, which were spent within just 11 days, from December 20 to 31, 2022—an average of P11 million per day. It also flagged the OVP’s P375 million allocation for confidential funds in 2023.
The committee has also been scrutinizing the alleged misuse of P112.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary in 2023.
The proposed reforms are seen as a significant step toward addressing lapses in accountability and restoring public trust in the management of confidential funds.
