Malacañang said Tuesday that it will let the Office of the Ombudsman handle the alleged misuse of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds.
“It’s in the hands of the Office of the Ombudsman,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a message.
Akbayan Party, together with progressive coalition Tindig Pilipinas, called on the Ombudsman to look into the alleged irregular use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President, citing the need for transparency and accountability in the handling of public money.
“We are calling on the Ombudsman to take the cases against VP Sara Duterte seriously, investigate the articles of impeachment because the trial we expected in the Senate did not happen,” Tindig Pilipinas convenor Francis “Kiko” Aquino Dee said.
The controversy stems from the revelation that Duterte, who was also serving as Education secretary at that time, had received P612.5-million confidential funds from 2022 to 2023, which the Commission on Audit (COA) later flagged for alleged misuse.
Duterte has repeatedly defended the allocation, saying the funds were used for “safe, secure, and successful” programs and operations of her office.
Earlier, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said that he would look in to the letter submitted by the group.
