The Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent ₱125 million in confidential funds in 11 days and not 19 days, House Committee on Appropriations senior vice chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo revealed on Monday, September 25.
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.
"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. Tinatanong ko po ang COA at tintingnan ko po ang mga iba't ibang mga report, pero hindi po ito nagastos sa loob ng 19 days kung hindi 11 days po," she said.
Quimbo said the OVP submitted the liquidation on the P125 million last January 17.
According to the Marikina lawmaker, the audit on the liquidation report is still ongoing and the COA targets to finish this by November 15.
"Bagama't siyam lang ang tao, alam ng COA na napaka-importante ng usaping ito," she said.
Quimbo said the state auditors have already sent an audit observation memorandum (AOM) to the OVP on Monday morning.
"Ang AOM na 'yan ang nag co-convey po ng request for additional documents mula sa Office of the Vice President para po makapagpaliwanag sila sa ilan sa mga expenses po, Madam Speaker," the Marikina lawmaker said.
When Vice President Sara Duterte assumed in office, she inherited the budget of her predecessor, Leni Robredo.
Robredo did not propose confidential funds for the OVP's 2022 budget, her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez earlier said.
It can be recalled that Opposition Senator Koko Pimentel first interrogated Duterte on the alleged transfer of ₱125 million confidential funds from the Office of the President (OP) to the OVP.
The Vice President affirmed that they requested the confidential funds as early as August 2022, which only got approved in December 2022.
