Marikina City 2nd Rep. Stella Quimbo (PPAB)

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent P125 million worth of confidential funds in just 11 days, and not 19 days as previously thought. 

Thus, bared Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo on Monday, Sept. 25 as she sponsored the 2024 budget of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the House plenary floor. 

Visibly flabbergasted over Quimbo's revelation was budget interpellator Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, who along with her fellow Makabayan bloc members has been taking to task Vice President Sara Duterte for weeks now because of the confidential fund use. 

"Napaka-igsing panahon...Mula po sa Statement of Appropriations, Obligations and Balances (SAOB), Dec. 13 to Dec. 31 ang nakalagay so 19 days po yan (It's a very short period...according to the Statement of Appropriations, Obligations and Balances, it was spent from Dec. 13 to Dec. 31, that's 19 days)," Brosas said. 

When the Gabriela solon asked confirmation from Quimbo, the latter gave out sighs and  admitted that she was surprised by what she learned. 

"Madam Speaker, ang totoo po ay nagulat din po ako nung mabasa ko ang mga balita na tila nagastos po sa loob ng 19 days. At tinanong ko po ang COA at tinignan ko po ang mga iba't ibang mga reports," said the Marikina solon. 

(The truth is I too were surprised when I read news saying that it was spent in 19 days. And I asked COA and I also looked at the different reports.) 

"Pero hindi po ito nagastos sa loob ng 19 days, kung hindi 11 days po, Madam Speaker (But this wasn't spent in 19 days, but in 11 days, Madam Speaker)," added the senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations. 

Brosas said the time frame was "hard to imagine". She insisted that the OVP should be transparent with how it spends public funds. 

"Kasi parang, kung surveillance yan, ilang reward payment po yan na aabot ng P11 million per day (Because if it was used for surveillance rewards, that would mean reward payments of up to P11 million per day)." 

Quimbo said she learned on Monday morning that COA had issued an audit observation memorandum (AOM) to the OVP last Sept. 18. She did not specificy beginning and end dates for the 11-day period. 

"May confidential nature po ang AOM bagamat ang masasabi po natin, ang AOM na yan ay nagcoconvey po ng request for additional documents muna sa OVP. Para makapagpaliwanag sila ng ilan sa mga expenses po," she said. 

(Although the AOM has a confidential nature, I can say that particular AOM is used to convey a request for additional documents from the OVP. This will help explain some of their expenses.) 

Quimbo said COA has committed to finish its audit of the P125 million by Nov. 15 this year. Special rules govern the audit of confidential funds. 

The sum of money was released by the Office of the President (OP) to the OVP. It was the latter that liquidated it as confidential funds.