Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte fired back to House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro’s claims that there is a possibility that an impeachment will be filed against her due to “misuse of public funds.”
On Friday, Castro claimed that the vice president may be liable for multiple violations for using P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 when there was no Congressional authorization for Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for that fiscal year.
In a statement, the vice president said that “the seething disdain overwhelming France Castro these days is hardly concealed even by her capacity to string serious allegations against the Office of the Vice President over the 2022 Confidential Fund.”
“But today, Ms. Castro doesn’t deserve an explanation because she did not come to class prepared — like a good teacher. All she did was wildly and masterfully arrange some allegations against me and the OVP, which will all be answered once the probe is done and during the budget hearing,” Duterte said.
Duterte added that she welcomes the probe that Castro recommended for the Commission on Audit (COA) to do on the 2022 OVP CF.
Castro pointed out that in the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the OVP has no appropriation for confidential expenses. She noted that the 2022 GAA was prepared and proposed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte and enacted by Congress in 2021.
“Meanwhile, I hope she finds gratification and great joy over the thought of my impeachment from office. Enjoy,” the vice president said.
It can be recalled that earlier this month, the vice president told Franco to leave the decision to Congress on the OVP’s request for confidential funds in next year’s budget.
