The Office of the Vice President (OVP) attempted to prevent the Commission on Audit (CoA) from submitting an audit report on its confidential fund spending to the House Appropriations Committee, according to Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.
Luistro criticized the OVP’s actions as a suppression of public information and emphasized Congress’s duty to oversee public spending.
Vice President Sara Duterte faced scrutiny last week for refusing to discuss her office’s confidential fund usage during an appropriations committee meeting.
OVP Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez advised the CoA against complying with a subpoena for audit reports, citing the confidential nature of the funds.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III also urged Congress to use its power to realign the OVP budget, questioning the necessity of the OVP’s social assistance roles and emphasizing that Congress should ensure the budget
Source: PhilNews24 | September 2, 2024
