Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte was able to support her department's request for P150 million in confidential funds, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Thursday.

"When they presented the budget — when we prepared the budget — one of the things that we considered is whether they can really use the money and if they have plans for the money," Pangandaman said in a media interview.

Pangandaman said that even during a Cabinet meeting, the Vice President also detailed how the so-called intel and confidential funds would be spent, thus the request was approved by DBM.

Lawmakers have said it's the first time that the Department of Education has requested confidential funding.