ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (Facebook, Malacañang photo)

Senatorial aspirant, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro criticized on Wednesday, Oct. 16 the Duterte family over its alleged usage of billions worth of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) during its family members' tenure as Davao City mayor. 

Castro, a member of the militant Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, said these secret funds could have been put to better use in the city. 

"Davao intelligence funds in 2011 were P109,500,000; in 2012, P113,000,000; in 2013, P115,000,000; in 2014, P120,000,000; and in 2015, P144,000,000," the teacher-solon said in a statement. 

"Noong 2016 pa lang sa Davao P144 million na ang confidential funds nila hanggang umabot na sa P2.697 billion noong 2022. Humirit pa ng illegal na P125 million na OVP confidential fund si VP [Sara] Duterte," Castro said. 

(The confidential funds in Davao amounted to P144 million in 2016, and reached P2.697 billion in 2022. The OVP under VP Sara Duterte also sought an illegal P125 million in confidential funds.) 

"Mula 2016 hanggang ngayon nasa mahigit P3 billion na ang nakuha ni VP Duterte na confidential funds pero kahit anong patunay na nagastos ito ng tama ay wala tayo," she added. 

(From 2016 to present, Vice President Duterte has received over P3 billion in confidential funds and yet we don't have any proof that these were spent properly.) 

Castro noted that the P2.697 billion designated as confidential funds from 2016 to 2022 for the mayor of Davao City could have been better utilized to support the education sector, particularly benefiting teachers. 

She highlighted that if allocated differently, these funds could have provided a P1,000 city allowance to approximately 17,000 Davao City teachers for more than 13 years. 

"This funding could have greatly contributed to improving the quality of education by ensuring that teachers had access to essential teaching materials and resources, ultimately benefiting the learning experience of countless students, at least for Davao City," Castro said. 

Since 2010, the mayoralty post in Davao City have been held by Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte, and Sebastian Duterte, who is the current mayor. 

Rodrigo is a former president, while Sara in the incumbent Vice President.