Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Arlene D. Brosas called out the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) 11-day confidential spending spree of public funds amounting to P125 million. The revelation was made during the 2024 budget deliberation of the Commission on Audit (COA). The Makabayan bloc had previously flagged the OVP’s confidential funds, and during the budget deliberation, it was confirmed that the funds were spent within 11 days, and not the previously reported 19 days.

“Lumalabas na P11,363,636.36 kada araw ang ginastos ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa loob lamang ng 11 days,” Rep. Brosas said.

“Meanwhile, poor Filipinos don’t even have enough money to spend for food and other basic needs. Habang patindi ng patindi ang kahirapan sa bansa, tumitindi rin ang patagong paggastos ng pera ng taumbayan,” Rep. Brosas added.

In DBM-COA-DILG Joint circular 2015-001, the confidential and intelligence funds’ spending spent are only limited to the following: (1) purchase of information needed for the formulation and implementation of programs, activities, and projects relevant to national security and peace and order, (2) rental of transport vehicles related to confidential activities, (3) rentals and incidental expenses related to the maintenance of safehouses, (4) purchase of rental supplies, materials, and equipment for confidential operations that cannot be done through regular procedures, (5) payment of rewards to informers, (6) uncovering/preventing illegal activities that pose a clear and present danger to agency personnel/property, or other facilities and resources under agency protection, and (7) other expenses authorized by the General Appropriations Act or other special laws.

“For VP Sara to fully utilize P125 million in 11 days, she needs to pay 1,250 informers at P100,000 each for 11 days or P9,090 daily per informer. But despite the public’s outrage over the use of confidential funds, she refuses to explain how her office utilized these funds,” Rep. Brosas said.

The COA is set to release its preliminary audit findings on the OVP’s P125 million in confidential funds on November 15. Gabriela Women’s Party vowed to closely monitor the COA’s findings and ensure that appropriate actions are taken if there are any indications of misuse or irregularities in the acquisition and utilization of these funds.

“We reiterate our position that issues on food security and lack of budget for basic social services should be the focus of the government. Hindi natin kailangan ng confidential funds. Ang kailangan ng mga Pilipino ay budget para sa pagkain at batayang serbisyo,” Rep. Brosas emphasized.

“Moreover, we will continue to question the government’s budget allocation for confidential funds as we prepare for the plenary debates on the proposed budget of the Office of the President and Office of the Vice President,” she ended.