House bill initiating reforms in secret fund usage filed – Rep. Chua

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to initiate reforms in confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) usage and accountability was filed before the House of Representatives, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said on Wednesday.

In a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Chua confirmed that he and other lawmakers filed House Bills (HB) No. 11192 and 11193, which cover issues discussed by the House committee on good government and accountability.

The panel headed by Chua recently investigated issues involving the confidential fund (CF) utilization of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte.

“We filed two bills this morning. One is House Bill No. 11192, titled an Act Regulating the Allocation and Utilization of Confidential and Intelligence Funds, Imposing Penalties for Misuse and Misappropriation,” Chua told reporters.

“The other one is House Bill No. 11193, titled an Act Regulating Special Disbursing Officers and Imposing Penalties for Misuse and Misappropriation of Funds,” he added.

During the hearings of the committee on good government, it was revealed that special disbursing officers (SDOs) assigned to OVP and DepEd left the disbursement of CFs to security officials — an act which 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez believes is tantamount to technical malversation.

READ: Solon: SDO’s move to give up fund release role may lead to malversation

OVP’s SDO Gina Acosta and DepEd’s SDO Edward Fajarda said that it was Duterte who ordered them to turn over the disbursement of CFs to Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco, respectively.

Duterte used to lead DepEd until July 2024.

READ: OVP exec: I left secret funds to security head as per VP Sara’s order

Chua said HB No. 11193 seeks to provide specifications as to who can be appointed as SDO.

“These stemmed from our committee hearings … because originally, if you are an SDO, as of now, if a head of agency appoints you, you can be an SDO. But with this new proposed law that we submitted, there would be qualifications stated: number one, you have to be a permanent official or employee of the agency, and you have to be at least at salary grade 24 level,” he explained in Filipino.

“Then you need to have an educational background related to accounting, auditing, or finance.  And your approved fidelity bond should be equivalent to your accountability,” he added.

There will also be penalties, aside from possible administrative and criminal liabilities, if the provisions are violated.

“Of course aside from administrative and criminal liability, it was also stated that if it is proven that you violated these laws, you will be perpetually disqualified from holding public office,” Chua said.

“But of course, all of these would go through the committee first. For example, with Section 10, regarding the SDO specifically Section 10, Penalties,” he added.

Issues surround OVP and DepEd, particularly regarding CF utilization.

It was revealed that one of the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) for CF disbursement was signed by a certain Mary Grace Piattos, which Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop noted was a combined name of a famous coffee shop and a potato chips brand.

Eventually, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong showed two CF ARs — one for OVP and another for DepEd — which were both received by a certain Kokoy Villamin.  However, the signatures and handwriting of Villamin differed.

READ: House probe: OVP, DepEd CFs received by same man, different signatures

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) then said that the names Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin do not exist within their live birth, marriage, and death registry.

The PSA also said that they have no records of the more than 400 names on the ARs for the DepEd’s CFs.

READ: No PSA records of 400 names in DepEd secret fund’s receipts – solon

These issues were used as the basis for two impeachment complaints filed by two groups against Duterte.