MATAPOS ipahayag ang kanyang pagtutol sa paglalagay ng confidential fund sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) at Department of Education (DepEd), nagbitiw si Atty. Melvin Matibag bilang secretary general at miyembro ng Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) na pinamumunuan ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Nagpadala ng sulat si Matibag kay Duterte na siyang chairman ng PDP-Laban sa pamamagitan ni PDP-Laban President Pepito Alvarez.

“My personal position on the issue of confidential funds appears to have been misinterpreted as being opposed to the views of the party chairman (Duterte),” sabi ni Matibag.

Sinabi ni Matibag na hindi nito tututulan ang ginawa ng Kamara de Representantes, kung saan napapabilang ang kanyang misis na si Laguna 1st District Rep. Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, na ilipat ang P1.23 bilyong confidential funds ng iba’t ibang civilian agency at ilipat ito sa mga ahesya na ang pangunahing mandato ay protektahan at panatilihin ang seguridad at kaayusan ng bansa.

Kasama sa inilipat ng Kamara ay ang P500 milyong confidential fund ng OVP at P150 milyong confidential fund ng DepEd na kapwa pinamumunuan ng anak ni Duterte na si Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Further, I will not be a part of a political party that will run against the institution where my wife belongs. Thus, to avoid further intrigue and confusion – for the interest of the party I am resigning as secretary general and as a member of PDP-Laban,” ani Matibag.

Sa kanyang resignation letter, sinabi ni Matibag na handa itong makipagtulungan upang maging maayos ang paglilipat ng kapangyarihan sa papalit sa kanya.

“I apologize for the apparent inopportuneness of my resignation. However, I will always be available to give assistance to ensure smooth and seamless transfer of my duties and responsibilities,” sabi ni Matibag. “I am forever grateful for [the] trust and confidence you have bestowed to me as the party’s secretary-general. I believe I have shown my loyalty to you as the chairman by helping to steer the party in the direction you have taken, especially during the national elections of 2019 and 2022.”

“I will always hold dear the opportunities and the experiences I gained in my journey as a member of the party…I wish the party leadership well and I hope for PDP-Laban’s success in the future,” sabi pa nito.

Sa isang column na lumabas sa pahayag, sinabi ni Matibag na walang mandato ang OVP at DepEd na depensahan ang bansa.

“I am against the Office of the Vice President being allocated the CIFs because the Vice President has no duty under the Constitution that requires them to secure our common defense. I have nothing against Vice President Sara Duterte. I am just against civilian agencies being accorded with secret funds,” sabi ni Matibag sa kanyang column.

Bukod sa OVP at DepEd, inalisan din ng confidential fund ang Department of Education (DA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), at Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT).

“It should strictly be allocated only to civilian agencies with defense duties, national security, law enforcement, and operations responsibilities,” saad pa ni Matibag. “(The) sound policy…is to strictly allocate CIFs to agencies mandated to protect us in the five domains of warfare — land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.”

“They should be allocated with definitive standards and parameters, such as the degree of threats, the value of tools needed, etc. Of course, the President, as the commander-in-chief, is necessarily afforded the fund,” sabi pa nito.

Matatandaan na binanatan ng dating pangulo ang Kamara matapos nitong ilipat ang confidential fund ng OVP at DepEd kahit pa sinabi ni VP Duterte na kaya nitong mabuhay ng walang confidential fund.

Kinukuwestyon din ang ginawang paggastos ni VP Duterte ng P125 milyong confidential fund sa loob ng 11 araw noong 2022 o paggastos ng P11.36 milyon kada araw.