VICE PRESIDENT and Education Secretary Sara Duterte slammed critics of confidential funds on Wednesday, saying these are necessary to maintain peace and order in the country.
Speaking at the 122nd police service anniversary celebration of the Police Regional Office 13 in Butuan City, Duterte said “anyone who attacks or undermines funds allocated for peace and order is naturally assumed to have insidious motivations.”
“Such actions go against the protection and well-being of the citizenry. Those who seek to compromise the security and development of our nation jeopardize the very fabric of our society and hinder our progress,” she said.
“Tandaan ninyo—kung sino man ang kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayapaan ay kalaban ng bayan,” she added.
Duterte has come under fire for asking for and receiving P125 million worth of confidential funds for 2022, even though the Office of the Vice President does not primarily deal with national security. The Commission on Audit said the OVP allocation was spent in just 11 days last December.
The OVP and Department of Education are asking for a total of P650 million in confidential funds next year.
Amid the public uproar, the House of Representatives, which is reviewing the national government’s P5.768-trillion proposed budget for 2024, announced last week that the confidential funds meant for civilian agencies like the OVP and DepEd would be given instead to the security forces.
“The country’s safety and security are of paramount importance,” House appropriations committee chairman Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co said in a statement on September 27.
“To protect our territorial integrity from external threats, Congress is giving top priority to agencies directly in charge of protecting the country’s safety and securing its borders,” he added.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said senators might also transfer these funds to the intelligence agencies.
