Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (left) and Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB, Facebook)

Former president and incumbent Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed disapproval of her House colleagues' persistent questioning of Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial spending of P125 million confidential funds during an 11-day period in 2022.

During the House Committee on Appropriations' budget deliberations on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) Tuesday, Aug. 27, Duterte appeared annoyed after members of the panel started questioning her alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Minority lawmakers, particularly members of the Makabayan bloc, repeatedly brought up the issue on secret funds despite not receiving any clear response from the Vice President.

Duterte argued that this should not be talked about any longer; after all, the deliberations were about the OVP's proposed P2.037-billion proposed budget for 2025.

“The topic is the 2025 budget proposal, so tell me, where is that?” she asked.

Seemingly agreeing with Duterte, Arroyo made a point of order and noted that it was already “settled” that the deliberations would only be for next year’s proposed budget.

“In all our hearings, as to what I recall, when we want to question something, about performance, we question the 2024 budget, not the 2023 budget,” Arroyo told Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, the presiding officer.

“What is being questioned now is the 2023 budget which was discussed extensively last year, and that is the reason why the House removed the confidential funds. So that issue has already been——to my mind, for purpose of the budget hearing——laid to rest.  So that’s my observation Madam Chair,” she added.

Arroyo was referring to the House of Representatives’ action last year of realigning the proposed P500 million in confidential funds from the OVP to agencies safeguarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Following the former president’s point of order, Quimbo explained that the letter sent to Duterte includes an item that clearly illustrated that the confidential funds issue wasn't a prohibited subject.

“The following topics to be discussed, item number 3 is comparative budget allocation and utilization rate from fiscal year 2019 to 2023, that’s item number 3…So clearly, confidential funds spent in 2022 falls squarely within that,” said Quimbo.

Several minutes into the hearing, Arroyo once again raised a point of order. This time, she argued that while it’s customary to examine budget from previous years, there’s no longer a need to inquire about the confidential funds since these have underwent “eloquent examination” last year’s budget hearings.

“So, I submit again, Madame chair. I mean if we’re talking about oversight. Yes, there is oversight of any House committee. But not during the budget hearing of a specific year’s budget,” Arroyo explained.

“There is a Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Congressman Paduano. So, those are all venues within the House. Not to mention the legal issue of what is already being discussed in the Supreme Court. So I raised that continuing point of order, Madame chair, on all of the questions regarding the 2023 budget,” the veteran legislator continued.

Quimbo, the senior vice chairperson of the appropriations panel, once again ruled to not take Arroyo’s point.

“No’ng huling plenary debates, pinag-usapan po ‘yung P125 million confidential funds. Inutusan po natin ang COA (Commission on Audit) na gawin ang audit, November 2023 tapusin niyo na,” noted Quimbo.

(In the last plenary debates, the P125-million confidential funds were discussed. We have ordered the COA to do the audit, to finish it by November 2023.)

“Since then, hindi pa natin naririnig kung ano ang naging resulta no’n (we have not yet heard what the result was). Umaksyon na tayo (We have taken action) without even hearing from the COA what the findings were. Ang naging aksyon natin, tinanggal natin (Our action was, we removed) from the civilian agencies. I think it is important to us to know, once and for all, because that will guide us moving forward. Kasi malay ba natin na mali pala ang naging aksyon natin (Because we know that our actions were wrong),” the lawmaker said, recalling last year’s actions from the lower chamber.

Under the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget, the office didn't request any confidential fund.