Vice Sara mum on realignment of confidential funds

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte remains mum on the realignment of P650 million in proposed confidential funds (CF) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) for 2024 to other agencies involved in security and intelligence work.

“We have no comment about this so far,” the OVP’s communication team told reporters in a Viber group on Thursday night when asked about a statement regarding the House of Representatives’ decision to realign the OVP’s proposed P500-million CF for 2024.

Reporters reiterated their request for a statement on Friday, to which the OVP’s communication team replied that there was nothing to be issued.

The DepEd, meanwhile, merely “noted” the reporters’ requests for a statement on the House’s decision to realign its proposed P150-million CF for 2024.

Amid reporters’ requests, Duterte managed to post on her Facebook account photos of her meeting with Fujian province Gov. Zhao Long.

In her post, Duterte said she accompanied her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian, in meeting Zhao at Davao City Hall on Thursday afternoon.

Duterte said she personally thanked Zhao for the renewal of the Sister City Agreement between Davao City and Jinjiang City in Fujian – an agreement which started in 2018 during her term as mayor.

She also thanked the governor for the continuous exportation of Davao City’s durian to China. Duterte concluded by saying that Zhao also met with her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday night approved on third and final reading the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.

Included in the proposed national budget was P10.14 billion in confidential funds of various government agencies.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, House appropriations committee chairman and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co said the confidential and intelligence sought by the OVP and DepEd are among those to be realigned to other government agencies involved in security and intelligence work.

He said portions of the CIF would be realigned to augment funding for the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, National Security Council, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, amid “serious concerns” in the West Philippine Sea.

ACT: Abolish all CIF

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has called for the total abolition of the P10.14 billion proposed CIF for 2024 and instead rechannel the amount to education and other basic services, especially for the construction and repair of classrooms.

“Abolish confidential and intelligence funds! Re-channel the proposed P10.14-billion CIF to education and other basic services! Prioritize classrooms, books and facilities not intel and confidential funds,” the group said in a press statement late Thursday.

The group pointed out that with P10.14 billion, the government can fund the construction of 4,056 new classrooms or the repair of 20,280 damaged classrooms. It said the amount can also finance the purchase of 87,038 sets of armchairs or 289,329 new laptops.