Hontiveros: Probe Davao City’s ₱460M confidential funds during Sara Duterte’s term

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 2) —Senator Risa Hontiveros said the Senate should probe the P460 million reported confidential funds of Davao City in Sara Duterte’s term when she held her position as Mayor from the year 2019 to 2022.

“As shown in Commission on Audit (COA) findings…Nakakalula ang halos kalahating bilyong confidential funds ng Davao City kada taon, kung ikukumpara sa CIFs ng mga malaki at mayamang lungsod gaya ng Makati, Manila at Cebu na hindi man lang umabot sa P100 million,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday in a statement.

[Translation: The half a billion confidential funds of Davao City every year is overwhelming, if we compare it to the CIFs of those large and well-known cities like Makati, Manila, and Cebu, which did not even pass a P100 million.]

As the lawmaker expressed her dismay, she urged the local and national government to set a clearer process and limitations on the usage of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs).

“The 1987 Constitution empowers local government units (LGUs) with fiscal autonomy, and LGUs are mandated to ensure peace and order within their jurisdictions. However, there should be a reasonable threshold on the amount that LGUs – like national agencies- may allocate as CIFs, to promote accountability and transparency,” Hontiveros said.

“Ano ang meron sa Davao City at mas malaki pa ang CIF nila kumpara sa ibang national agencies gaya ng Philippine Coast Guard?” she said.

[Translation: What’s with Davao City and why do they have a bigger CIF compared to other national agencies like the Philippine Coast Guard?]

“While Davao City faces existing security challenges, are these challenges really so much worse than China’s incursions and abuses in our territorial waters? Inaagaw na rin ba ng Tsina ang teritoryo nila tulad sa West Philippine Sea?” she added.

[Translation: Is Davao City also facing a threat and is China also depriving them of their territories like in the West Philippine Sea?]

Hontiveros expressed hoped the body will raise the issue in the upcoming Senate plenary discussion on the national 2024 budget.

In a separate statement on Sunday, House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro urged COA to investigate the reported P2.697 billion confidential fund of Davao when Duterte was the city’s mayor from 2016 to 2022.

READ: COA probe sought on alleged confidential funds of Davao City