VP Duterte denies misuse of P73M OVP funds, criticizes political attacks

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday reiterated her denial of any misuse of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro had accused Duterte of failing to comply with rules regarding P73 million in confidential funds, citing it as grounds for impeachment.

Duterte dismissed the allegations, stating that there was no misuse of funds and accusing her critics of political attacks to divert attention from economic issues.

The Commission on Audit (COA) issued a Notice of Disallowance for P73 million out of the P125 million disbursed by Duterte's OVP in 11 days, indicating irregularities or excessive spending.

House Committee on Metro Manila Development Chairperson Valeriano criticized Duterte's unwillingness to explain before the House of Representatives her office's utilization of funds, including the P125 million confidential funds in 2022.

Valeriano stressed that these were public funds and the Filipino people deserve to know where they went.