VP Duterte’s use of public funds triggers search for truth

CONFIDENTIAL FUND composite image from Inquirer file photos

MANILA, Philippines—As the rift turns into war between erstwhile allies President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, Congress and the public are being urged to take a close look at the dirt that both camps are throwing at each other.

The UniTeam of Marcos Jr. and Duterte, which delivered more than 30 million votes to propel them to the two highest positions in the land, is now in tatters.

Barely three years have passed since they took office after promising “Bagong Pilipinas”, the alliance has now collapsed as the House of Representatives investigated Duterte over her use of confidential funds.

Duterte received P125 million and P500 million in secret funds in 2022 and 2023, but P237 million in expenses—P73 million in 2022 and P164 million in 2023—have been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).

When the investigation started, Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun asked Duterte to address concerns over her office’s use of confidential funds. “We are seeing a disturbing pattern of misuse or mismanagement of government funds,” Khonghun said.

RELATED STORY: Secret fund use hits P10B; OVP outspends 4 security agencies

Refusing to answer in detail the allegations of fund misuse, Duterte instead accused the Marcos administration of plotting to destroy or persecute her.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

Instead of clarifying how she used the funds, Duterte accused House investigators of political motivation and involvement in a ploy to sidetrack issues of corruption in the current administration.

Those questioning her use of funds, Duterte said, “are concealing the deficiencies of the government.”

“I am being made the punching bag so that the nonsense and corruption in government is not seen and heard,” she said.

She continued to lash out at Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez, cursing them “p….ina ninyong lahat,” an invective her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is known for.

Duterte claimed there’s a plot to assassinate her which she would counter with her own plot to kill Marcos, the first lady and the Speaker if the plot against her succeeded.

She said she had already discussed her plan with someone, presumably an assassin, who agreed to execute it.

Marcos, however, pointed out that “it is not right to stifle elected leaders’ search for the truth,” saying that the problem should not have ended up with “drama” if direct answers were given instead of nonsensical tales.

RELATED STORY: VP Duterte, OVP execs may face plunder raps for secret fund ‘misuse’

Even Romualdez, who was accused by Duterte of misuse of public funds, said that no amount of noise can drown out the truth. He previously stressed that Duterte’s statements were a “threat to democracy”.

‘Come clean’

But for Maria Ela Atienza, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman, all of them “should come clean” regarding the allegations hurled against them so that the real issue won’t get lost in the way.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

“Regardless of political color and standing, the President, the Vice President, the Speaker, and all officials of the government, should come clean,” she told INQUIRER.net.

Atienza pointed out that Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate—should take a close look at the budget, spending and actions of all government offices.

According to data from COA, out of the P500 million in confidential funds that the OVP got in 2023, Duterte spent P375 million, way higher than the P125 million that her office spent in 2022.

READ: OVP spent over P375M in confidential funds in 2023 – COA

Marcos spent P4.50 billion, or P2.25 billion each for confidential and intelligence expenses. The Office of the President (OP) has P4.56 billion in secret funds for 2024, and has requested over P10 billion for next year.

READ: COA told: Release info on Office of the President’s secret funds

For Atienza, it is the responsibility of the public, academe, civil society, and the media to conduct their own investigations and demand Congress and accountability institutions to act on allegations that are with merit.

Evasive

Last year, as the COA said that it took only 11 days for the OVP to spend P125 million in secret funds, the P500 million requested for 2024 was instead allocated to government offices responsible for national security.

However, when asked this year regarding the OVP’s spending of confidential funds, Duterte refused to respond, saying that she is leaving the office’s proposed P2.04 billion 2025 budget to the discretion of the House of Representatives.

A few weeks later, an investigation was initiated over her use of secret funds, but instead of coming clean, Duterte attacked the credibility of both Romualdez and Marcos.

While she attended some hearings, she let some of her staffers, including lawyer Zuleika Lopez, respond on her behalf. Lopez was eventually ordered detained for a few days because of what Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) described as “undue interference”.

This, as Lopez confirmed that the OVP sent a letter asking the COA not to comply with the subpoena issued by the House of Representatives to submit audit reports on the OVP’s use of confidential funds.

As pointed out by Atienza, while the UniTeam already disbanded and that there are now more congressmen allied with Marcos through Romualdez, Duterte should still come clean and not evade accountability.

“She should not hide behind her staff,” she said.

No threats, dramatics

Atienza stressed that all public officials, elected or appointed, are bound by the Constitution and laws on ethics, transparency and accountability. “[Duterte] has to respect [the] process,” she said.

She said that Duterte should directly respond to allegations of misuse of secret funds instead of her “continuous power tripping, tantrums, threats, and dramatics.”

RELATED STORY: VP Duterte gives up seeking P650M in secret funds

According to the 2015 Guidelines on the Entitlement, Release, Use, Reporting and Audit of Confidential and/or Intelligence Funds, a Quarterly Accomplishment Report is required for government offices that used secret funds.

This, as the COA, Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Governance Commission for GOCCs, and the Department of National Defense stressed the need “to strengthen accountability.”

RELATED STORY: COA: Marcos’ office spent over P2B in confidential funds in 2023

Likewise, disbursements from confidential funds need to be supported with documentary evidence of payment, which shall be submitted to COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit.

Two impeachment cases have already been filed against Duterte for culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, and betrayal of public trust. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is likewise investigating her for her “kill” remark against Marcos, the First Lady and Romualdez.

But the DOJ clarified that its investigation would as well look at the threats Duterte claimed were made against her, saying that the National Bureau of Investigation is required to investigate threats against either the President or the Vice President.

Fictitious

A few weeks back, the investigation of Duterte’s use of secret funds revealed inconsistencies and fictitious names such as “Mary Grace Piattos” who, the Philippine Statistics Authority said, does not exist.

The names appeared in at least one of the acknowledgement receipts (ARs) supposedly given by the OVP to the COA to explain its confidential expenses in 2022, the year when her office spent P125 million in 11 days.

As pointed out by former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, while the OVP can say that “Mary Grace Piattos” and the rest of the names that appeared on the ARs are aliases, there is still a way to check identities.

RELATED STORY: PSA verifying more names on OVP receipts for secret fund expenditures

“The special disbursing officer is required to have a logbook, where there are both the alias and real identity of the individuals listed [as recipient of confidential funds],” she told ANC.

She said the information can likewise be “desensitize[d]” by the Department of National Defense.