Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman (Facebook)

Liberal Party (LP) President Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman cited four reasons why he thinks the Department of Budget and Management's (DBM) "transfer or release" of P125 million from the contingent fund of the Office the President (OP) was a big no-no. 

Lagman, who served as one of the interpellators of the OP's 2024 budget in plenary Tuesday, Sept. 26, was referring to the money that ultimately ended up as confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in December 2023. 

The Bicolano said in a manifestation that this movement of funds was "flawed" since, number one, under Section 25 (5) of Article VI of the Constitution, the transfer of funds is prohibited except with respect to constitutional officers like the President relative to savings for augmentation of any deficient allocation in their respective offices. 

"Consequently, it is unconstitutional for any transfer of funds from the Office of the President to another office like the Office of the Vice President," underscored Lagman. 

Number two, Lagman insists that the transfer for augmentation must be from savings of the office concerned. 

"It was admitted that in the President’s contingent fund, the savings in 2022 was only P50 million but the release to the [OVP] was P125 million. In other words, it was not from savings. Moreover, the [OP] through its [budget] sponsor, repeatedly said that the release of the amount was not from savings," he said. 

Number three, the self-styled independent minority congressman contended that the transfer or release of funds was to "augment deficiencies" in the items of appropriation of the constitutional office concerned, which in this instance was the OP. 

"Moreover, there was nothing to be augmented because the [OVP] had a zero appropriation for confidential funds in 2022. Zero appropriation cannot be augmented. The fund transfer or release also derogates the clear intention of the Congress not to appropriate any allocation for said item," he said. 

Finally, number four, Lagman said that the letter dated Aug. 22, 2022 of Vice President Sara Duterte to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman "requested for the release of funds by augmentation and for confidential funds, both of which are prohibited". 

VP Sara requests augmentation, confidential funds from DBM

Lagman's staff distributed copies of Duterte's signed letter to House reporters Tuesday afternoon. 

In the two-page letter, the Vice President sought a total of P403.46 million from the DBM "to ensure continuous operations of the OVP under the current year". Of the requested amount, P250 million were confidential funds. 

The P250-million fund was sought "for and in consideration of the safe implementation of je various projects and activities under the Good Governance program and the conduct of official engagements and functional representation in international and domestic events as instructed by the President". 

Duterte also asked for "augmentations" for purposes of financial assistance/subsidy (P144.72 billion); special duty allowance for the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) (P8.74 million); and rollout for several projects like the establishment of three satellite offices, augmentation for the Libreng Sakay Program, three OVP food trucks, and thec 911 peace-building initiative in Marawi (P107.46 million).