OVP budget
THE Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent the P125-million confidential fund in just 11 days last 2022.
This was revealed by Senior Vice Chairperson of the House committee on appropriations and Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo during the continuation of the deliberation of the 2024 national budget.
It can be recalled that the Makabayan bloc accused the OVP of spending the controversial P125 million confidential fund in just 19 days in last part of 2022.
Citing information from the Commission on Audit (COA), Quimbo revealed that, the multimillion-peso confidential fund granted to the office of Vice President Sara Duterte for the year 2022 by the OP had been obligated in just 11 days.
When asked if reports were accurate that the OVP’s confidential fund was spent in 19 days, Quimbo said: “Madam Speaker, ang totoo po ay nagulat din po ako noong mabasa ko ang mga balita na tila nagastos po sa loob ng 19 days at tinanong ko po ang COA at tiningnan ko po ang mga iba’t ibang mga reports, pero hindi po ito nagastos sa loob ng 19 days kung hindi 11 days po, Madam Speaker.”
As per COA, Quimbo said, the OVP has submitted its liquidation report in January 2023 and has been issued an audit observation memorandum or AOM on September 18, 2023 by state auditors.
Quimbo got an assurance from the COA that Congress will be given a full report on November 15, 2023 as audit is still ongoing.
“So Madam Speaker, ongoing pa rin ang audit at ang AOM ay preliminary findings and again may confidential nature po ang AOM bagama’t ang masasabi po natin ay ang AOM na ‘yan ay nagco-convey po ng request for additional documents,” she said.
At this point, Quimbo reiterated her call for the creation of a special oversight committee for confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) in the House of Representatives to boost transparency and ensure that people’s money are spent properly.
“Sana po ay suportahan ninyo po ako sa aking panawagan ng ganitong creation ng special oversight committee,” said Quimbo, who in her opening speech to endorse the 2024 spending plan request of COA, sought the creation of the special panel to be composed of the House Speaker, three members of the majority and one from the minority.
Under the president setup, only the President, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House have access to information pertaining to CIFs.
Nniniwala ako na ang kaban ng bayan ay dapat ginagastos para sa kaunlaran ng bayan. This can only be achieved with a stronger push towards transparent governance,” Quimbo stressed.
