Justice Secretary Leila de Lima INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Answering state auditors, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Saturday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) did not misuse the P73-million balance of the Victims Compensation Fund (VCF).
“I say the word ‘misuse’ is not accurate. It connotes a wrongful act which does not hold here,” De Lima said in response to a report by the Commission on Audit (COA) which demanded that the amount be remitted to the national treasury.
The P73 million, according to De Lima, is currently deposited with the DOJ’s trust fund in the Land Bank of the Philippines.
The VCF was created under Republic Act No. 7309 to provide monetary compensation to victims of unjust imprisonment or detention and of violent crime. This is awarded through the Board of Claims which is under the DOJ.
She said the DOJ had sought reconsideration from the COA to allow the VCF to remain in the special deposit account in order to expedite the grant of claims.
DOJ finance officers had already discussed this matter with COA auditors and Board of Claims officials, De Lima said
She said the Board of Claims through its chair, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, had justified all expenses based on existing Department of Budget circulars and Board of Claims resolutions. Christine O. Avendaño