Vice President Sara Duterte has called the issues that are coming up with her 2022 confidential funds as politically motivated.
In a press conference in Bacolod City, Duterte said the House of Representatives’ hearings are made to discredit her office even if they have been responding to the Commission on Audit (COA)’s Audit Order Memorandum (AOM).
Duterte accused House Speaker Martin Romualdez and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos of politicizing issues surrounding her confidential funds.
“It’s politically motivated dahil di ko alam kung ano ang ikinagalit ni Liza Marcos sa akin sabi nya yung tumawa ako pagsabi ni FPRRD na bangag si President. Si Martin alam ko he really wants to run for president.” Duterte said.
She said the attack began last year when House Speaker Martin Romualdez and members of the Makabayan bloc met.
After the meeting, Duterte said the attack on the Office of the Vice President began and Makabayan member Representative France Castro has mentioned the possible impeachment complaint against her.
In 2023, the House of Representatives removed the confidential fund allocation under the OVP and transferred it to the agencies directly mandated to secure the nation. By then Romualdez said the decision has nothing to do with politics.
When asked if she is running for president in 2028 Elections, Duterte said the best time to decide on it will be on December 2026 without further elaborating her answer.
Duterte’s reaction came after the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability conducted series of hearings on the OVP and Department of Education’s confidential funds.
The lawmakers probed into the alleged misuse of the 2022 confidential funds of the OVP including the P125M which was allegedly spent in just 11 days.
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.