Vice President Sara Duterte's office spent P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 in merely 11 days— not 19 days— as initially claimed by some opposition lawmakers.

The revelation came during the sponsorship debate of CoA's P13.36 billion budget for 2024, during which Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the agency's budget sponsor, told lawmakers that the multimillion-peso CF granted to the OVP by the Office of the President had been spent in just 11 days.

The P125 million CF was part of the P221.42 million contingent fund of the OP transferred to the OVP in 2022.

"Madam Speaker, the truth is that I was also surprised when I read the news that it was spent within 19 days and I asked about the CoA and I looked at the various reports, but it was not spent within 19 days but 11 days, Madam Speaker," Quimbo said.

Confidential funds are used for discreet costs associated with surveillance operations carried out by civilian government agencies in support of their mandate or operations.

The OVP submitted its liquidation report in January 2023 and was issued an audit observation memorandum or AOM on 18 September 2023 by state auditors, said Quimbo, citing the CoA.

Government agencies have only 15 days to respond to an AOM.

The CoA, meanwhile, pledged that Congress will be furnished a copy of the full report on 15 November 2023 as the audit is still ongoing.

OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac, however, brushed off the claim and told reporters that the agency has yet to receive the AOM from COA.

Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, who has been an opponent and critic of the CF, appeared surprised by Quimbo's revelation, questioning how the OVP managed to spend that massive fund in less than two weeks.

"It's hard to imagine spending that in 11 days because if it's for surveillance, how many reward payments will reach P11 million per day?" Brosas stressed.

Quimbo, meanwhile, responded, "I hope you will support me in my call for this creation of a special oversight committee," that she said will look into how CIFs are used properly and judiciously.

Under the current system, only the President, the Senate President and the House Speaker have access to information pertaining to CIFs.

The multi-million fund shift of OP to OVP has sparked intense debate in Congress, with opposition claiming it was unconstitutional since there was no line item in the OVP's 2022 budget on confidential funds in the 2022 General Appropriations Act.

Then Vice President Leni Robredo, who prepared the 2022 budget of the OVP, said there was no line item for confidential funds in the budget they crafted.

The Department of Budget and Management defended the legality of such transfer in a letter sent to Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chair of the House committee on appropriations, last week. Co has yet to provide a copy of the letter to House reporters.