ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), and Vice President Sara Duterte (Rep. Castro's office, Facebook)

Makabayan solon ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro says Vice President Sara Duterte is trying to paint critics of confidential funds as "enemies of the state". 

"It seems that when her ad hominem attacks against the critics of her secret funds did not work, VP Duterte is now egging the police to treat critics of confidential funds as enemies of the state," Castro said in a statement Wednesday, Oct. 5. 

Castro, a House deputy minority leader, was alluding to Duterte’s recent public defense on the use of confidential funds. 

"Sinasabihan niya ang mga pulis na ituring lahat ng naririnig nilang bumabatikos sa confidential fund na 'enemy of the state' o kalaban ng bayan. Kumbaga ay wholesale na red-tagging at gaslighting ang kanyang ginawa," said the militant congresswoman. 

(She's telling police to treat all those criticizing confidential funds as enemies of the state. In short, she's doing wholesale red-tagging and gaslighting.) 

Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc repeatedly assailed the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on the subject of confidential funds during the just-concluded budget process in the House of Representatives. 

Specifically, the militant solons took the OVP to task for its supposed spending of P125 million worth of funds for a period of just 11 days in December 2022. 

Duterte has yet to respond to Makabayan's demand for a detailed breakdown of the P125 million. 

"What happened to her statement that she and her office can live without confidential funds? Why is she now fighting tooth and nail just to retain her secret confidential funds?Why is she now gasligthing those who want transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds? asked Castro.

Duterte on Wednesday, Oct. 4 defended her office's use of confidential funds during the 122nd Police Service Anniversary of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 13. 

“Anyone who attacks or undermines funds allocated for peace and order is naturally assumed to have insidious motivations. Such actions go against the protection and well-being of our citizenry. Those who seek to compromise the security and development of our nation jeopardize the very fabric of our society and hinder our progress,” Duterte said at the event.