"Anong uri na naman ng magic ang ginamit nila para ubusin ang P125M sa loob ng 11 araw?"
Senator Risa Hontiveros again took a swipe at the PHP 125 million confidential funds spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in just 11 days, saying that it is no longer a spending spree but a direct insult to the Filipino people.
During the House deliberations on the proposed 2024 national budget, Gabriella Women's party list Arelene Brosas asked Quimbo, who sponsors the Commission on Audit (CA) budget, to confirm the integrity of the report that the OVP spent the P125 CIF in 19 days.
Instead of confirming, Quimbo clarified that the confidential funds were used in just a span of 11 days and not 19 days.
"Napakagaspang. P11 million kada araw? Daig pa ang may patagong credit card sa national budget. Hindi niyo pera yan! Confidential funds can be validly spent only on expenditures supporting surveillance activities of civilian agencies," the Senator said in a video message.
"Yung ating Coast Guard sa West Philippine Sea, araw-araw binabantayan ang sumpong ng China. 17 years pinagkasya ang P117 million na confidential funds. Ang OVP, hindi man lang umabot sa dalawang linggo," she continue.
WATCH: Reaksyon ni Senator @risahontiveros hinggil sa P125 milyong confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) na naubos lamang sa loob ng 11 araw noong 2022. #BreakTime #SamaSamaTayoPilipino pic.twitter.com/AqtKRqkrCU
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) September 26, 2023
Hontiveros then proceeded on questioning the OVP: "What can VP Sara show for it? Nagmass hiring ba ang OVP ng libo-libong informant sa loob lang ng 11 na araw? Nagpatayo ba sila ng daan-daang safehouse sa loob lamang ng 11 na araw?"
"Babalik lang tayo sa paulit-ulit na tanong: Saan niyo dinala ang pera? Naghihintay ng resibo ang buong Pilipinas," she ended.
It can be recalled that the lone opposition senator also batted back against Vice President Sara Duterte as she scrutinized the latter's confidential funds.
