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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Sara to answer Ombudsman order on confidential funds 'within required period'

VP Sara to answer Ombudsman order on confidential funds 'within required period'

Published Jun 23, 2025 10:53 am
Vice President Sara Duterte said that she and her lawyers will comply with the Office of the Ombudsman’s order to submit a counter-affidavit in answer to allegations that she misused the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which she headed until her resignation in July 2024.

Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media during an interview in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Screengrab from OVP video)
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media during an interview in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Screengrab from OVP video)
In an interview in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, June 22, the Vice President disclosed that her lawyers “are already preparing for the answer” and they informed her that they will provide the “answer within the period required within 10 days.”

“We received the order to comment of the Ombudsman for 10 days and we intend to file within 10 days. We’ve been preparing for this since November 2023, the moment that we heard Rep. (France) Castro from the House of Representatives mentioned the word ‘impeachment’,” she said.

The official shared that she had her lawyers with her since 2023 to prepare for any cases that will be filed against her.

She also recognized that failure to file a counter-affidavit within the period provided for by the Ombudsman will “be deemed as waiver of respondents' right to submit controverting evidence and the preliminary investigation shall proceed accordingly.”

The allegations that the Ombudsman has directed her to respond to were contained in a June 10 report by the House committee on good governance, which was passed to the country’s chief prosecutor on June 16.

An order dated June 19 from the Ombudsman gave Duterte and her former subordinates in the OVP and DepEd 10 days to respond to the allegations.

The committee report recommended that the Vice President and several others be charged with technical malversation, falsification and use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery and corruption, plunder, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

It said that Duterte and her personnel misused P625 million—P500 million from the OVP and P125 million from DepEd—in confidential funds.

Consultation with Filipino community

Meanwhile, the Vice President stressed that she is not on a holiday in Melbourne and that she dislikes traveling except only during holidays.

“I am here to discuss with the Filipino community on ways forward for our country, and of course how we can push the administration to do more for our country,” she said, highlighting the inputs of the Filipino communities abroad.

“The Philippine government should not discount the contributions of the Filipino communities worldwide. So, they know the best practices around the world It's good to sit down and discuss with them,” she added.

Duterte was in Melbourne to attend the “Free Duterte Now” rally at the Parliament Gardens on Sunday.

The Vice President was just in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia two weeks ago to attend the Independence Day festivities there and engage with the Filipino community.

Related Tags

Ombudsman confidential funds VP Sara Duterte OVP House of Representatives
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