DepEd drops P150-M confidential fund request

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte. Senate PRIB file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has officially dropped Department of Education’s (DepEd) P150-million confidential fund request for its 2024 budget.

Budget sponsor Senator Pia Cayetano made the announcement on Thursday during the deliberations on the proposed national budget for next year.

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“We are all parents who want to protect our children. Ang seguridad ng mga bata ay seguridad ng kinabukasan ng ating bayan. Nonetheless, DepEd will no longer pursue confidential funds,” said Cayetano, reading Duterte’s letter to her office.

(We are all parents who want to protect our children. The security of children is the security of our nation. Nonetheless, DepEd will no longer pursue confidential funds.)

READ: Senators agree to remove secret funds of gov’t agencies with civilian function

Cayetano said Duterte is “humbly requesting” that the funds be realigned to the National Learning Recovery Program instead.

The Office of the Vice President, which is also headed by Duterte, earlier gave up its controversial request for P500 million secret allocation for next year.