OVP spent P125-M confidential fund in 11 days — Quimbo

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent its P125-million confidential fund in 2022 in just 11 days, Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo said on Monday.

Last August, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said the P125 million was spent in 19 days.

«Madam Speaker, I was shocked when I read reports that the money was spent in 19 days and I asked CoA and I looked at various reports, but it was not spent in 19 days but 11 days,» Quimbo said during the plenary deliberations on the Commission on Audit's proposed 2024 budget, responding to a query of Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas.

The senior vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations said that the OVP submitted its liquidation report in January 2023.

She said that an audit observation memorandum (AoM) was issued on Sept. 18, 2023.

«Audit is still ongoing and AoMs are preliminary findings and have a confidential nature but we can say that AoM conveys a request for additional documents,» Quimbo said.

OVP spokesman Reynold Munsayac said the OVP has not received an AOM from COA.

On Sept. 14, 2023, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations said that he received a letter from the Department of Budget and Management assuring Congress that the President's office did not subvert the House of Representatives' power of the purse when it released the funds to the vice president's office late last year.

Co said that the letter from Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman clarified that the P125 million released to the OVP was from the P7-billion Contingent Fund for 2022.