House budget panel head denies fund manipulation

Metro Manila, Philippines – The word war between the vice president and the House appropriations committee chairman has come to a head - and the seeming casualty is a budget proposal hanging in the balance.

House appropriations chairman Elizaldy Co (AKO BICOL party-list) denied on Tuesday, Sept. 10, that he is manipulating public funds - as opposed to claims of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The vice president made the allegation in a recorded interview ahead of the House budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President, which she and her entire staff skipped.

Duterte said the budget is just controlled by two people: Co and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“Kung makikita ninyo sa budget proposal na approved ng Office of the President, 5 billion ‘yun. Pero noong lumabas ‘yung GAA o ‘yung budget approved noong 2023, naging 15 billion siya dahil hindi nga ako pumayag na kunin ‘yung 5 billion, dinagdagan nila ng 10 billion ‘yung classroom construction ng Department of Education,” said Duterte.

“‘Yung 10 billion na ‘yun hindi kontrolado ng Department of Education. Controlled ‘yun ni Cong. Zaldy Co at Cong. Martin Romualdez,” she added.

[If you look at the budget proposal approved by the Office of the President, it was 5 billion. But when the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or the budget approved in 2023 was released, it became 15 billion because I didn’t agree to take the 5 billion. They added 10 billion to the Department of Education's classroom construction budget. That 10 billion is not controlled by the Department of Education. It is controlled by Cong. Zaldy Co and Cong. Martin Romualdez]

The vice president said House leaders did the same in the 2024 funds, raising the classroom construction budget from P19 billion to P24 billion.

“So, approved 19 billion, paglabas sa House naging 24 billion at doon sa 24 billion na ‘yun, kung hahanapin mo sa papel, kinuha nila ang 5 billion ng repairs ng classroom at nilagay nila doon sa 19 billion para maging 24 billion siya,” she said.

“[Translation: If you look at the documents, they took P5 billion from the classroom repairs and added it to the 19 billion, making it 24 billion]

Duterte admitted this is one of the reasons why she stepped down as education secretary.

On the other hand, Co said Duterte is deceiving the public, downplaying the allegations as a “diversionary tactic.”

“Hindi po totoo ‘yan. Kung nagagawa niya po ‘yan sa Davao, sa confidential fund na lustayin in 11 days ang 2.9 billion, kayang kaya niya rin pong gawin kapag siya ang nakaupo,” said Co in a chance interview.

[Translation: That’s not true. If she was doing it in Davao, and was wasting her 2.9 billion confidential funds in 11 days, she can also it if she’s in power]

In his speech, Co said the Commission on Audit (COA) - not the House - determined misuse in Duterte’s spending. During the Aug. 27 inquiry, it was revealed that COA issued a Notice of Disallowance for the P73 million in confidential funds disbursed by the OVP in 2022.

The panel head said he won’t let any budget go to waste again.

“Bibigyan pa ba natin siya ng P2 billion na ipanggastos daw sa mahihirap? Ibibigay po natin ito sa tamang ahensiya. Huwag nating hayaan na waldasin na naman ang kahit pisong sentimo na dapat nating bantayan,” said Co.

[Translation: Are we going to give her a P2 billion budget for the poor? We will just give it to the proper agency. Let’s not allow even a single centavo to be wasted again, something we need to keep a close watch on]

Romualdez has yet to issue a response to Duterte’s claims.

The appropriations committee ended up deferring action on the P2.04-billion proposal and decided to leave its fate to the plenary session after a four-hour debate.

READ: House panel delays fate of OVP budget, inquiry turns into tense debates