Speaker Martin Romualdez has called on Vice President Sara Duterte to personally attend and testify before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability regarding the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary.
Romualdez’s statement came after OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez and several other officials denied any involvement in the release of confidential funds. The Speaker, addressing the issue during a visit to Albay for a government aid turnover, emphasized that Duterte herself should provide explanations. “Siya lang yata ang may alam kung anong nangyari sa mga pondo,” Romualdez said.
Duterte attended the first day of the House inquiry but did not take an oath, opting instead to deliver a statement accusing the panel of building a case for her impeachment. She also claimed that the 2025 budget process was under Romualdez’s control, a claim the Speaker and his allies denied.
The inquiry has uncovered irregularities, including the OVP spending ₱16 million of its ₱125 million confidential fund in 2022 for safehouses and questionable documentation submitted by both the OVP and DepEd to justify expenditures. The next hearing is scheduled for November 25.
