VICE President Sara Duterte is under mounting pressure from leaders of the House of Representatives to directly address the allegations of public fund misuse during her leadership of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe are calling on Duterte to stop diverting attention from the real issue and to confront the controversy head-on, suggesting her recent remarks reflect a sense of desperation.
“Public funds are at stake here. Stop diverting the issue and address the controversy directly,” Gonzales urged the Vice President, who is currently under congressional investigation for alleged misuse of funds during her leadership of the OVP and DepEd.
Gonzales added: “Huwag puro iwas, the people deserve clear answers. Pati military ginamit mo, yet they were denied what was due to them. This needs to be explained.”
For his part, Dalipe said the Vice President is “clearly desperate to deflect attention.”
“Instead of addressing these serious allegations, she’s attacking others. The education system declined under her leadership, and public funds were mishandled. She must take responsibility,” Dalipe pointed out.
According to the House leaders, Duterte’s desperation appears even more evident following recent revelations that DepEd, under her leadership, falsely claimed to have used its confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) for Youth Leadership Summits (YLS).
It was discovered that the Armed Forces and local government units shouldered most of the expenses for the YLS in 2023, despite DepEd’s claim that its CIFs were used.
Military officers have denied any involvement of DepEd’s CIFs in the summits, yet the agency under then Secretary Duterte used their certifications to justify P15 million in CIFs, allegedly for paying informers.
The ongoing investigation by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability led by Rep. Joel Chua of Manila has revealed widespread concerns over the mismanagement of government funds under Duterte’s leadership, including scrutiny of CIFs.
The latest revelations have intensified public and congressional demands for Duterte to be held accountable for her actions and the mismanagement of public resources.
Instead of addressing the issues, the Vice President resorted to launching personal and vicious attacks against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., even digging up matters from the 2022 elections.
“This is not the time for deflections or personal attacks,” Gonzales stressed. “Public funds were misused, and the education system suffered under her leadership. Vice President Duterte must explain where the money went.”
Dalipe echoed the call for accountability, saying “desperation won’t hide the facts.”
“The public deserves transparency about how public money, military resources, and the education sector were handled. It’s time for Duterte to stop dodging and face the music,” he added.
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