Former Bayan Muna Congressman Neri Colmenares today demanded the prosecution of Office of the Vice-President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) officials for malversation of funds and violation of anti-graft laws.
“The reported spending of the OVP and DepEd of their confidential fund is not only a violation of the COA-DBM-DILG-GCG-DND J.C. No. 2015-01 but a plethora of anti-graft laws. They spent these amounts without any supporting documents except for a self-serving certification that these were spent regularly.
Sec. 25 (4) Article VI provides that “Discretionary funds appropriated for particular officials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to be supported by appropriate vouchers and subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by law”, he said.
“The OVP and DepEd did not submit any voucher. They even failed to follow the basic requirements of the Joint Circular. The GAA states that the allocation of confidential funds and the disbursement of confidential expenses “shall be subject to COA-DBM-DILG-GCG-DND J.C. No. 2015-01 dated January 8, 2015”, said Colmenares
“VP Sara Duterte, who was also DepEd Secretary since 2022 failed to submit these vouchers and receipts or “evidence of payment”. said the former Bayan Muna congressman.
“It is unimaginable for the OVP to spend Php 125 Million in confidential funds in just 11 days! Now it is clear that VP Sara Duterte not only spent millions of pesos on unexplainable and vague expenses but also failed to fulfill even the basic requirements of the law on how to spend confidential funds. Kaya pala ayaw sagutin ang mga tanong, kasi wala silang maisagot. Dapat kasuhan na ang mga OVP officials na ito at kahit DepEd officials na involve dito kasama na syempre ang principal nila na si Sara Duterte. Hindi na ito isyu ng pulitika, klarong pera na ng taong bayan ang nawaldas dito, na dapat para sana sa libreng gamot o kaya sa libreng edukasyon.”
“The Circular requires for vouchers and proof of payment of these funds, which they failed to submit. Section 4.12 provides that “Disbursements from CF shall be supported with documentary evidence of payment, among others, which shall be submitted to the Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit (ICFAU) in a sealed envelope signed by the special disbursing officer (SDO)”.
“By not doing so, they should be charged with malversation of public funds which provides that Article 217 which states that “Any public officer who, by reason of the duties of his office, is accountable for public funds or property, shall appropriate the same or shall take or misappropriate or shall consent, through abandonment or negligence, shall permit any other person to take such public funds, or property, wholly or partially, or shall otherwise be guilty of the misappropriation or malversation of such funds or property”
Colmenares declared, adding that “They can also be charged administratively for their violation of Joint Circular 2015-01 Ethical Standards for Public Officials and other administrative rules and regulations”. #
