KINONDENA ni House Deputy Minority Leader at ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro ang pagdepensa ng kampo ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa P125 milyong confidential fund na hiningi nito noong 2022.

Ang komento ni Castro ay nag-ugat sa hiling ng kampo ni VP Sara sa Korte Suprema na ibasura ang mga petisyon laban sa confidential funds dahil ang mga hinala at alegasyon lamang umano ang mga ito.

Sinabi ng lady solon na hindi “theoretical” lamang ang confidential funds ni VP Sara dahil ginastos nito ang P125 milyong confidential fund noong 2022 na ginamit na lang sana upang matulungan ang mga mahihirap na pamilya.

“This illegal and unconstitutional transfer of P125 million to the Office of the Vice President for confidential funds violated all rules on the proper use of such funds,” ani Castro.

“It represents a massive redirection of public resources away from essential services and towards opaque purposes with no accountability. It is a glaring example of bureaucrat capitalism and should be stopped,” dagdag pa nito.

Si Castro at iba pang miyembro ng Makabayan bloc ang kumuwestyon sa constitutionality ng ginawang paglipat ng pondo mula sa Office of the President patungo sa Office of the Vice President noong 2022.

Batay sa datos ng Commission on Audit, ang P125 milyong pondo ay inubos sa loob lamang ng 11 araw.

“The petitioners, including myself, Reps. Brosas and Manuel, former Reps. Zarate, Gaite, Cullamat, Palatino, and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares, are seeking the restitution of these P125 million in public funds that were unlawfully used with no oversight,” saad pa ni Castro. “We have asked the Supreme Court to direct COA to fully audit how this money was spent.”

Iginiit ni Castro na sa ilalim ng 2022 national budget ay walang nakalaang confidential fund para sa OVP at iba pang civilian agency.

“There was no congressional authorization for the OVP to receive and spend P125 million in confidential funds, in clear violation of our laws,” wika pa ng lady solon.

“This case goes beyond just theoretical arguments about budget rules. Real public money that could have helped struggling Filipinos was instead funneled into a legal gray area with zero transparency. The people deserve to know where their money went,” pagtatapos ni Castro.