MANILA — (UPDATED) Questions on the Office of the Vice President’s P125 million confidential funds in 2022 triggered heated discussions during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on its proposed 2025 budget.

Of this amount, P73 million was disallowed by the Commission on Audit, which was raised by ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro during Tuesday’s budget briefing.

Based on COA’s Notice of Disallowance, P69.7 million were disallowed due to the non-submission of documents evidencing the success of information gathering or surveillance activities to support the Acknowledgment Receipts for payments of rewards in cash, various goods and medicines. The remaining P3.5 million were disallowed because they were payments for tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers, but there was no specification that they were intended for confidential operations/activities.

“On the budget for 2024, ‘yung Vice President na rin ang nagsabi na slow and low utilization… Pero syempre comment ko lang, mas mabilis siya sa confidential funds. 100% in 11 days,” Castro said.

“Madam Chair, since you allowed her a snide comment, you will allow me a snide comment as well,” Vice President Sara Duterte replied.

“Point of order madam chair. Kasi parang siya ang nagpe-preside eh,” Castro said.

“Ganoon talaga ang buhay ma’am… I do not understand bakit a person convicted of child abuse is still sitting in a seat,” Duterte retorted.

“Dina-divert ang usapan sa ating budget hearing… Dapat hindi natin yan pahintulutan sa Kamara,” Kabataan Party List Rep. Raoul Manuel said.

“This is a hearing on the budget of 2025. Nasaan dito ang confidential funds?” Duterte said.

An ally of the Vice President, Pampanga 2nd District Representative and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, supported Duterte’s position.

“In the beginning, it was settled that the issue was the 2025 budget… What is being questioned now is the 2023 budget, which was discussed very extensively last year. And that is the reason why the house removed the confidential funds. That issue has already been, to my mind, for purposes of the budget hearing, laid to rest,” Arroyo said.

“We note that. But of course we know that ‘yung pondo ng 2023 ay pwede pa ring maging continuing appropriation hanggang 2024. In the same way 2022 pwedeng maging continuing pa rin ng 2023… It’s a big amount of money. I believe we owe it to the people,” House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo responded.

With repeated questions from lawmakers regarding COA’s Notice of Disallowance, Duterte repeatedly replied, “We have submitted our responses and we assure full cooperation with the ongoing and unfinished audit.”

“Nakikita na namin ‘yung pattern ng attacks, that’s why we decided in the Office of the Vice President na ‘wag na dagdagan pa ang bala ng attacks at ipakita sa tao na ‘yung confidential funds we are in good faith in using that and goodwill namin na napapadali yung trabaho, pero pwede siyang hindi gamitin ng Office of the Vice President,” the Vice President later added.

SQUID TACTICS?

Castro compared Vice President Duterte’s behavior during the budget briefing to a squid.

“Hindi pwede na ‘yung tactics na ganyan… ‘Pag nasusukol na ang pusit ay naglalabas ng maitim na tinta. Ayaw natin ng ganoon Madam Chair. Ang pinag-uusapan dito ay budget. ‘Wag naman mag-ugaling pusit ang Office of the Vice President,” the ACT Teachers lawmaker said.

“Madam chair,” Duterte said as she tried to interrupt House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo from calling the next interpellator.

“Hindi na po tayo matatapos,” Quimbo replied.

“‘Yan ang sinabi ko sa’yo kanina. Ayaw mong maniwala sa akin eh. Aabot talaga tayo ng bukas dito,” Duterte told Quimbo.

“May I remind also our resource person to please act in a respectful manner,” Quimbo said.

“If you allow members of the House of Representatives lines like what you just said, like pusit, bakit mo ako kinu-crucify for saying a fact that somebody is convicted of child abuse. (03:15PM) Bakit napaka-one sided ninyo, ma’am? Dahil ba marami kayo diyan sa kabila at nagiisa ako rito?” Duterte continued.

“We note all your comments, ma’am. And let us now proceed,” Quimbo replied.

The Vice President requested to replace the presiding officer of the budget hearing, but Quimbo denied the request.

“Madam chair, I request that the chairperson of the Finance Committee preside over this hearing,” Duterte said.

“Pasensya na po, hindi kasama sa poder ninyo ang pagfa-fire ng presiding officer ng hearing na ito,” Quimbo replied.

The House panel went on to defer the deliberations on the OVP's proposed budget to Sept. 10.

Key moments in video:

• 00:30 France Castro takes a jab at the OVP's confidential funds expenditure
• 03:50 Sara Duterte brings up France Castro's child abuse case
• 10:50 Sara Duterte requests for a different presiding officer; Stella Quimbo rejects the request
• 22:40 France Castro compares Sara Duterte's answers to a squid's defense mechanism
• 28:20 Sara Duterte tells Stella Quimbo: "Aabot talaga tayo ng bukas dito!"
• 29:00 Sara Duterte asks Stella Quimbo: "Bakit mo ako kinu-crucify?"