The Makabayan bloc on Monday, Dec. 11, filed a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court seeking to declare the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) ₱125 million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in 2022 as "unconstitutional."
Among the petitioners are Gabriella Women's Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, and Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares and former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate.
In a press release posted on X (formerly Twiter), Colmenares said their filed petition for certiorari was anchored "on two constitutional grounds."
"The release of Php 125 Million to VP Duterte as ‘confidential fund’ is unconstitutional because there was no congressional appropriation for the OVP in the 2022 GA," he said.
"The Petitioners, therefore, added a prayer to declare the said confidential fund fully auditable and therefore subject to rigorous auditing by COA [Commission on Audit] for any signs of corruption and irregularities," the Bayan Muna Chairperson added.
The Makabayan bloc, Colmenares said, is asking the Supreme Court to declare the ₱125 million CIF as "fully auditable" and direct the state auditors to rigorously audit the fund for "any signs of corruption and irregularities."
The respondents of the petition are Vice President Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, and Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
BAYAN MUNA TOGETHER WITH OTHER PROGRESSIVES, FILE PETITION TO THE SUPREME COURT TO VOID VP DUTERTE’S 125 MILLION CHRISTMAS SPENDING SPREE IN 2022
— Neri Colmenares (@ColmenaresPH) December 11, 2023
We ask the Court to Order VP Sara Duterte to return her Php 125 M secret fund to the National Treasury (1/4) pic.twitter.com/hHVtGFmhud
The Makabayan bloc is the third group that questioned the OVP's CIF in 2022.
Just last November, a group of professionals filed a petition questioning the transfer of ₱125 million from the Office of President's contingency funds to the OVP's confidential funds.
The group asked the higher court to "declare the transfer as unconstitutional" and order the OVP to return the ₱125 million "to the government's treasury."
