Hontiveros hits fund transfer to OVP’s non-existent item: ‘May ghost transfer?’

Sen. Risa Hontiveros during the Senate’s public hearings. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

MANILA, Philippines — Someone should be held accountable for the reported “unauthorized” and “illegal” transfer of the P221 million budget to the Office of the Vice President, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday.

Included in the P221.4 million budget was the P125 million confidential fund allegedly spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in just 19 days.

“Kung totoo at tama ang mga napabalitang report, dapat may managot sa unauthorized at malinaw na iligal na pagtransfer ng pondo papunta sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) noong 2022. These serious allegations and reports demand immediate investigation,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

(If the reports are true and accurate, someone should be held accountable for the unauthorized and clearly illegal transfer of funds to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022. These serious allegations and reports demand immediate investigation.)

Vice President Sara Duterte herself already confirmed at a budget hearing in the Senate that her office requested the budget from the Office President  (OP) in August last year.  The fund request, she said, was granted in December 2022.

Hontiveros was puzzled, however, how this confidential fund could augment a non-existent item in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“How can they validly transfer funds to an allocation that doesn’t exist in the first place?” she asked.

“Walang ‘confidential fund’ ang OVP sa taong 2022 na maaring paglipatan ng pondo ng pamahalaan.  In the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2022, there were zero items for any confidential funds earmarked for the Office of the Vice President. Ano ito, multo? May ghost transfer?” the senator further asked.

(The Office of the Vice President had no “confidential fund” for 2022 to transfer the government’s funds. In the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2022, there were zero items for confidential funds earmarked for the Office of the Vice President. What is this, a ghost? Is there a ghost transfer?)

And while the law allows the President  and certain offices of government to realign or transfer their savings, Hontiveros said, “these savings cannot augment a non-existent item in the GAA.”

“A reminder to everyone: ‘Confidential funds’ are not cheat codes which can be used to violate existing laws and regulations blatantly,” she had said.

JPV/abc