Castro taunts VP Duterte after latter says she will stop seeking confidential funds

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB, Facebook)

Makabayan solon ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro taunted Vice President Sara Duterte Thursday afternoon, Nov. 9 after the latter declared in a statement that she “will no longer pursue” confidential funds.

In a separate statement, Castro claimed to know the real reason why Duterte would suddenly let go of the confidential funds issue.

“Kaya lang naman naglabas ng ganitong pahayag ang OVP dahil nalantad na sa publiko ang pang-aabuso sa confidential fund kaya dapat pa din tayong maging mapagbantay at tutulan ito,” the militant congresswoman said.

(The Office of the Vice President only released this statement after the abuse of the confidential fund had been revealed to the public, that’s why we must stillbe vigilant and stop this.)

“Di naman talaga mandato ng Opisina ng Bise-Presidente na magkaroon ng confidential at intelligence funds kaya walang karapatan magkaroon ang mga opisina niya ng ganito,” she said.

(It’s not even the mandate of the OVP to have  confidential and intelligence funds so her office doesn’t have the right to have these funds.)

Under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024, P500 million worth of confidential funds were allocated to the OVP.

Meanwhile, P150 million worth confidential funds were earmarked for DepEd under the same spending plan. Duterte is the concurrent education secretary.

The House leadership later removed these confidential funds and realigned them for the purpose of further securing the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Castro, in her statement, highlighted that the OVP has yet to fully explain what happened to the P125-million confidential funds that it received from the Office of the President (OP) last year.

ALSO READ: https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/19/congressmen-insist-realignment-of-confidential-funds-is-constitutional

“Hindi pa din maayos na sinasagot ng OVP kung paano at saan ginamit ang iligal na P125 milyong confidential funds nito noong 2022. Hindi mabubura ng very belated at pilit na statement ng OVP ang mga tanong ng mamamayan,” said the deputy minority leader.

(Third, the OVP has yet to properly answer how and where the illegal P125-billion confidential funds were spent in 2022. The OVP’s very belated and forced statement isn’t enough to erase these questions on the public’s mind.)

“Dapat na talagang iabolish ang confidential funds (Truly, confidential funds must be abolished),” she further said. — Ellson Quismorio

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