Ombudsman Remulla vows review of VP Sara’s confidential fund cases

Incoming Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla declared that the Office of the Ombudsman will review the complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte over the alleged misuse of confidential funds by her office and during her tenure as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The complaints, endorsed by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, involve confidential funds amounting to P500 million in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million in the Department of Education (DepEd) from 2022 to 2024.

“Those reports are already with the Ombudsman. We will open them, study them, and question those who are currently in charge as well as those who handled the case before we arrived,” Remulla said in Filipino.

Aside from the Vice President, the respondents also include nine other DepEd and OVP officials, among them Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, former DepEd officials Sunshine Fajarda, Edward Fajarda, Annalyn Sevilla, and Nolasco Mempin, and Col. Raymund Lachica, the commander of her security group.

Last year, during a House of Representatives hearing, it was revealed that Vice President Duterte spent P125 million in confidential funds in just 11 days.

Meanwhile, when asked on Wednesday if the new Ombudsman will investigate the alleged anomalies in the Office of the Vice President, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) spokesperson Claire Castro emphasized that fair and thorough investigations into all relevant matters will be conducted.

“What needs to be investigated must be investigated. Nothing should be neglected or ignored. The Ombudsman must investigate matters the public deserves to know about,” Castro said.

Remulla also maintained that the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials should be made public but clarified that their release must comply with the guidelines under the Data Privacy Act.