House leaders back Romualdez, criticize Duterte on fund use

Several leaders of the House of Representatives rallied behind Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday, dismissing Vice President Sara Duterte's recent statements as a desperate attempt to divert attention from issues surrounding her office's use of confidential funds.

House Deputy Speaker David 'Jay-jay' Suarez and other leaders accused Duterte of making baseless allegations and using diversionary tactics regarding the unexplained P612.5 million in confidential funds used by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. advised Duterte to seek medical help, suggesting she might be hallucinating.

The House leaders emphasized that the Commission on Audit's report on public fund usage under Romualdez was clean compared to the OVP under Duterte.

Lawmakers investigating the matter questioned state auditors' findings regarding inconsistent acknowledgement receipts for the use of confidential funds by the OVP and DepEd.