Bayan Muna party-list group is preparing to file a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) to question the legitimacy of the Office of the Vice President (OVP)’s P125-million confidential fund allocated last year.
The contention stems from the transfer of P125 million of auditable funds to a confidential fund which is not regularly auditable, facilitated by President Marcos Jr. Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares raised concerns over the potential for this move to be exploited by corrupt officials to bypass strict auditing processes outlined in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
In July, the OVP maintained that the funds had been utilized for their designated purpose. However, detailed breakdowns of the expenditure remain undisclosed. The Commission on Audit disclosed that the allocation to the OVP was orchestrated through budgetary adjustments.
The heart of the disagreement lies in the fact that Congress did not initially allocate the OVP’s confidential fund, rendering it a “non-existent” entity according to legislative standards. Colmenares emphasized that augmenting funds should pertain to enhancing existing allocations, not to establishing entirely new ones through post-enactment transfers—a practice reportedly outlawed by the Supreme Court following the passage of the GAA.
Looking ahead to the December deadline for the approval of the 2024 GAA, Colmenares urges a meticulous review of public fund allocations by both chambers to avoid hurried passage of the budget.