Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Jr. attributed the significant drop in Vice President Sara Duterte’s approval and trust ratings to her alleged refusal to clarify the spending of public funds under her office.
Gonzales was referring to the September 2024 Pulse Asia survey, where Duterte’s trust rating fell by 22 points—from 83 percent in March 2023 to 61 percent. Her approval rating also dropped from 69 percent in June to 60 percent, marking a nine-point decrease.
“People expect public officials to be transparent in the use of government funds. So, it is not surprising that her ratings are falling because she keeps avoiding our questions about these funds,” Gonzales said.
The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged Duterte’s office for questionable use of P125 million in confidential funds in 2022, issuing a Notice of Disallowance after receiving insufficient explanations. COA also raised concerns over the spending of P164 million from the OVP’s 2023 confidential fund.
Gonzales also criticized Duterte’s tenure as the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, citing COA reports on moldy nutribuns and late deliveries of school supplies. “These failures directly affect students and cannot be ignored,” he said.
Gonzales emphasized the need for public officials to face scrutiny, adding, “no one is above the law,” and that the Vice President must answer these concerns about public funds.”
