Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Pantaleon Alvarez (file photo)
MANILA, Philippines – Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and now Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaloen Alvarez wants to transfer the Confidential Funds (CF) proposed for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to other government agencies.
In a statement on Tuesday, Alvarez said that while it is important to allocate CF to sensitive cases, this money should be given to agencies such as the National Security Council.
“Confidential funds play a critical role in our government, especially in ensuring the security of our country,” he said.
“It is imperative that these funds are channeled to an office uniquely equipped, both in terms of mandate and expertise, for efficient management,” the lawmaker stressed.
“We must ensure that every peso of taxpayer money is spent wisely and for the ultimate benefit of the Filipino people,” he added.
According to the former House of Representatives leader, the government has achieved significant victories against the communist armed insurgency without necessarily involving the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd).
OVP and DepEd – both under Duterte’s daughter and incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte – have requested a total of P650 million in CF.
P500 million of this request is for OVP, while P150 million is for DepEd.
“The government has consistently and convincingly won victories against the communist insurgency and insurgency over the years,” he said.
“And these were achieved during the previous administration, virtually without any confidential resources allocated to the OVP and DepEd,” he recalled.
Alvarez is a known ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The proposed 2024 budget for OVP was expected to be debated on Tuesday, but the House majority said OVP and DepEd officials could not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
House rescheduled hearings for the two agencies on Wednesday.
RELATED STORIES:
Quimbo: Secret OVP funds came from a contingent fund, placed on a line item in the budget
DBM says OVP’s 2022 confidential funds are not technically a money transfer – Co
Lawmaker threatens Vice President Sara with impeach rap; Veep responds: ‘Enjoy it’
Your subscription cannot be saved. Try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
OVP and DepEd budget debates rescheduled for Wednesday – House of Representatives majority
APL
