Duterte accusation another ‘squid tactic,’ progressive lawmakers say
The Makabayan coalition of progressive lawmakers denounced Sara Duterte’s accusation it is in an alliance with the Marcos-Romualdez dynasty, saying the vice president’s allegation is another attempt at employing squid tactics to hide her misuse of public funds.
Following Duterte’s statement that the Makabayan is partnering with her erstwhile Uniteam allies President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and House of Representatives Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Youth Party Rep. Raoul Manuel denied the accusation as a “fabrication.”
“It is imperative to set the record straight: no such alliance exists,” the progressives said in a statement.
In an interview Tuesday, September 3, Duterte said, ““There was no misuse of any funds. There is, however, [an] unending political attack by the Makabayan-Romualdez-Marcos alliance to mask the real problem of the country right now,” she said.
Duterte also said: “Dapat magtrabaho muna bago pulitika.” [You must work first before politicking.]
The Makabayan legislators however retorted the vice president is only trying to get back at them for leading the opposition against her controversial requests for confidential and intelligence funds they said are not part of her mandate.
Staunch anti-corruption advocates, Castro, Brosas and Manuel also initiated investigations into Duterte’s questionable expenditure of P125 million in intelligence funds in a matter of 11 days in December 2022.
The Commission on Audit’s (COA) issued a Notice of Disallowance against the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for alleged “surveillance” activities across 132 areas.
The state auditor also demands the return of PHP 73 million from the said funds due to this egregious spending.
Makabayan again tangled with Duterte in the ongoing budget deliberations for the Office of the Vice President’s 2025, the vice president refusing to answer questions from legislators, even getting personal with the three progressives.
More misuse of funds
In yesterday’s budget briefing for the Department of Education (DepEd) that Duterte just vacated, billions worth of questionable expenditures were also revealed.
COA’s audit report on DepEd for 2023, the last full year of Vice President Sara Duterte as head of the agency, showed notices of suspension amounting to P10.1 billion; notices of disallowance worth P2.2 billion, and notices of charges worth P7.38 million due to “noncompliance with existing laws and regulations” in its implementation of department projects.
COA also reported the accumulation of un-liquidated cash advances amounting to nearly P7 billion that were either disallowed or had no specific purpose.
“Vice President Duterte must answer the extreme under utilization of the Department of Education budget while she had 100% utilization of confidential funds,” Makabayan said.
‘Dismal low accomplishments’
Makabayan also pointed out that Duterte had “dismally low accomplishments”as DepEd secretary as revealed in Tuesday’s budget briefing.
The coalition said DepEd under Duterte’s watch was only able to repair 208 classrooms out of their own target of 7,550 and only three Last Mile Schools constructed out of its own target of 88.
It also underscored that according to the same COA report, DepEd also had a “zero-accomplishment rate” in its computerization project “due to the (central office’s) inability to complete the procurement process for 2023.”
Makabayan’s interpellations of Duterte’s replacement, Sonny Angara, also revealed that aside from delayed delivery of laptops for teachers, the government may have lost close to P1.6 billion during the questionable re-bidding for the DepEd computerization program.
“There is also the P5.6 billion DepEd feeding program issue, where “nutribuns” delivered were stale, moldy and insect-infested, while some of the milk were already spoiled,” Makabayan said.
Makabayan said it is ironic for Duterte to tell lawmakers to work (“Magtrabaho muna.”) when she has a very little to show as DepEd secretary.
“So, enough with VP Duterte’s squid tactics, we demand accountability. It is the right of the people to know how their money was spent, and it is our duty to ensure that public officials do not betray their trust as this becomes an impeachable offense,” Makabayan said.
The misuse of public funds of the OVP and DepEd is an impeachable offense, particularly given the severe lack of funding for social services, the coalition added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
