Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26) — The Office of the President’s (OP) transfer of ₱125 million in confidential funds to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022 was “flawed” and “unconstitutional,” opposition and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Tuesday.
\”The Constitution prohibits the transfer of funds except with respect to constitutional officers like the President relative to savings for augmentation of allocation which are deficient in his office, not in any other office,\” he said.
Confidential funds again took center stage at the continuation of plenary debates on the proposed ₱5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.
Lagman flagged the release from the OP’s contingent fund to the OVP because there was no allocation for confidential funds to the office of Vice President Sara Duterte for 2022.
\”It was admitted that in the president’s contingent fund, the savings in 2022, was only ₱50 million. But what was released to the OVP was ₱125 million. So this was not from savings,\” he said.
Earlier in the plenary, Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said the OVP’s request for confidential funds was personally approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as it is covered under the good governance and social services budget of his office.
Lagman also said there is a constitutional ban on the transfer of funds, except for constitutional officers such as the president relative to savings for augmentation of existing expenditures.
Citing the Commission on Audit, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo revealed in the plenary on Monday that the OVP spent its ₱ 125-million confidential fund In 11 days and not 19 days, as previously reported.
