Davao Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Tuesday fired back at a Makati Business Club (MBC) official over criticism concerning the alleged misuse of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds, calling the official’s remarks “gossip-based conclusions.”

The lawmaker directed his comments at MBC executive director Apa Ongpin, who had implied the Vice President “misspent” her confidential funds, citing an alleged lack of proper documentation and questionable recipients listed in liquidation reports, including the infamous “Mary Grace Piattos.”

Ongpin alleged the funds were not utilized for national security as intended, pointing to the purported absence of intelligence gathering findings.

Duterte challenged Ongpin to refrain from lecturing the Vice President on accountability, suggesting the executive director lacks firsthand experience in public office.

“Before you play ‘investigative expert,’ I suggest you learn how government actually works,” the lawmaker said. “Until then, keep your lectures to your boardroom, not on national policy. Governance is a responsibility you clearly haven’t carried.”

To recall, the Vice President has been accused of misappropriating P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to her office (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P112.5 million), which she previously headed.

Her refusal to explain where the funds were spent led to her impeachment on 5 February.

Lawmakers previously flagged several other dubious names listed as recipients, such as “Xiaome Ocho,” “Jay Kamote” and “Miggy Mango.”

Findings from the Philippine Statistics Authority reportedly showed that out of 1,992 supposed fund recipients, 1,322 had no birth records, raising suspicions that the acknowledgment receipts were “fabricated.”

The Vice President has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the impeachment as a “well-funded” and “coordinated political attack” by administration lawmakers aimed at derailing her future presidential ambitions.

The impeachment case, signed by 215 House lawmakers, remains pending before the Supreme Court after the lower chamber contested the court’s ruling that declared the impeachment unconstitutional.