SC eyed to define confidential funds

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) may be asked to clearly define confidential funds.

Former party-list congressman Neri Colmenares suggested bringing before the high tribunal questions on how public officials use their confidential funds.

“This is a matter that needs to be brought to the SC for clarification and resolution once the budget becomes a law,” Colmenares said.

His colleagues in the House’s Makabayan bloc were the first to question the confidential funds that were turned over from the Office of the President (OP) to the Office of Vice President (OVP) Sara Duterte in 2022.

Colmenares’ colleagues in the progressive bloc are Reps. France Castro of ACT Teachers, Arlene Brosas of women’s group Gabriela and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan party-list, all opposition legislators in the chamber.

Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba told the House appropriations committee that the OVP has submitted its compliance and liquidation reports regarding the confidential funds.

Explain or return

The Makabayan bloc said that if Duterte could not explain the P125 million in confidential funds that were transferred to the OVP from the OP, she should return the money to the treasury.

“Since the VP was not entitled to CF in 2022, she should disclose how she spent every centavo of the P125 million in 19 days. The public has the right to know,” Castro said.

She also urged the COA to “revisit” its 2022 audit on the OVP, “specifically the transfer and use of the CF.”

“At the very minimum, we expect that it will issue a disallowance and order the VP to return the P125 million to the public coffers,” she said. “She must return the people’s money. We will remain steadfast in holding the highest officials accountable for their use and misuse of public funds.”

“This is an extravagant use of taxpayers’ money for an agency whose mandate has no direct involvement in national security, intelligence gathering or law enforcement,” Castro said, noting that OVP was not entitled to CF in 2022.

She repeatedly stressed the fact that Duterte spent the P125 million in 19 days.

“DBM and OVP records show that she received the confidential funds on Dec. 13, and reported it fully disbursed on Dec. 31, 2022,” Castro said.

Meanwhile, after four weeks of continuous hearings, the House appropriations committee will finally finish scrutinizing budget allocations of all government agencies this week, and is ready to start plenary deliberations on Sept. 19.

Speaker Martin Romualdez and panel chair Rep. Zaldy Co will most likely be able to keep their promise of finishing the briefings in five weeks as Congress – which includes the Senate – is set to adjourn on Sept. 30.

“We have taken significant strides toward finalizing the 2024 budget, which promises to be a landmark budget focused on national growth and the welfare of the Filipino people,” Co said.

“The committee will put its nose to the grindstone so that the House will be able to approve the budget on third reading before Congress adjourns on Sept. 30,” he said.

Co represents Ako Bicol party-list and is president of the 54-member Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc.

Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, senior vice chair of appropriations, told journalists that the panel is “on target” and “on time.”

Romualdez vowed to reciprocate the early submission by the Department of Budget and Management of the 2024 spending bill, making sure that every centavo of the proposed P5.768-trillion budget will be judiciously spent.

The House needs to closely examine the budget proposals of every department and agency as well as analyze every program, activity and project to ensure that the resources are allocated and optimized on the right priorities, according to the Speaker.