Hontiveros wants Senate probe into Duterte-led DepEd’s secret fund

Senator Risa Hontiveros and Vice President Sara Duterte (PHOTOS: SENATE PRIB, FB/DUTERTE)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday blasted the Department of Education’s (DepEd) supposed “unawareness” of how its P112-million confidential fund (CF) in 2023 was utilized, and urged the Senate panel on confidential and intelligence funds to probe the matter.

In a statement, Hontiveros said the DepEd’s admission only confirmed that the allocation of such a “significant budget” was “misguided from the start.”

“Hindi puwedeng maghugas kamay ang ilang opisyal ng ahensya sa usapin ng paggamit ng confidential fund. Kung hindi ito nagamit nang tama at wasto, mananagot din ang sinumang may partisipasyon sa paggamit nito,” she added.

(Some officials should not wash their hands on the issue of the use of confidential fund. If it’s not used properly, anyone involved should be held accountable.)

She urged the Senate’s committee on confidential and intelligence funds, programs, and activities to look into the matter. She likewise appealed to the Commission on Audit to update the chamber on how the CF was utilized.

“Hihintayin ko rin ang ilalabas na report ng Commission on Audit hinggil dito. Karapatan ng mga Pilipino na malaman kung saan ginagastos ang perang pinaghirapan natin, hanggang sa huling sentimo,” Hontiveros said.

(I will wait for the Commission on Audit’s report on this. Filipinos have the right to know where the money that they have worked hard for is going, even to the last cent.)

According to the opposition lawmaker, DepEd previously “provided institutional backing and policy justification” for the CF requested by then Education Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte.

She, however, noted that it raises great suspicion if the DepEd is unaware of how its funds were utilized.

READ: Quimbo chides DepEd: Slow with projects, quick to utilize secret funds