Hindi tinantanan ni House Deputy Minority Leader at ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro ang umano’y maanomalyang paglilipat ng ₱125 milyong halaga ng confidential funds sa tanggapan ni Vice President Sara Duterte na dapat ay inilaan sa pagtulong sa mga Pinoy na nangangailangan.
“This illegal and unconstitutional transfer of ₱125 million to the Office of the Vice President for confidential funds violated all rules on the proper use of such funds. It represents a massive redirection of public resources away from essential services and towards opaque purposes with no accountability.
It is a glaring example of bureaucrat capitalism and should be stopped,” ayon kay Castro.
Tinukoy ni Castro ang mga petisyon na kanyang inihain sa Korte Suprema kasama ang ibang miyembro ng Makabayan bloc na kumuwestiyon sa legalidad ng paglalaan ng ₱125 milyong confidential funds sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) noong 2022.
Ayon sa Commission on Audit, naglaho parang bula ang ₱125 milyon dahil ito ay nagastos ng OVP sa loob ng 11 araw.
“The petitioners, including myself, Reps. Brosas and Manuel, former Reps. Zarate, Gaite, Cullamat, Palatino, and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares, are seeking the restitution of these P125 million in public funds that were unlawfully used with no oversight,” ayon kay Castro.
“We have asked the Supreme Court to direct COA to fully audit how this money was spent,” dagdag niya.
Iginiit ni Castro na hindi kasama ang ano mang confidential funds sa 2022 national budget para sa civilian agencies tulad ng OVP kaya ang paglilipat ng P125 milyon sa naturang tanggapan ay maituturing na “unconstitutional.”
“There was no congressional authorization for the OVP to receive and spend P125 million in confidential funds, in clear violation of our laws,” paliwanag ni Castro.