Makabayan bloc presses Sara Duterte to answer fund misuse allegations

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc urged Vice President Sara Duterte to answer accusations regarding her alleged malversation of millions in confidential funds raised in her ongoing impeachment proceedings.

Makabayan said it was not concerned with Duterte’s academic records and was instead focused on seeking answers regarding the alleged misuse of public funds.

The minority bloc demanded that the Vice President explain how the P612.5 million in confidential funds were allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary.

“Hindi rekord sa eskwelahan ang usapin. Ang dapat ipaliwanag niya ay ang P612.5 milyong pondo ng bayan,” Makabayan said.

(School records are not the issue. What needs to be explained is where the P612.5 million in public funds were used.)

“Nasaan ang malinaw na pananagutan sa bawat pisong kinuha sa kaban ng publiko? Iyon ang dapat niyang sagutin,” they added.

(Where is the clear accountability for every peso taken from the public? That is what she should answer.)

Their statements stemmed from a two-page response by Duterte to an allegation from her supposed “bagman,” Ramil Madriaga, that she struggled academically during her time in law school.

Duterte denied claims that she received help from her professors to complete her studies at San Sebastian College-Recoletos College of Law.

“I completed my studies on my own terms. I placed a higher premium on living a well-rounded life rather than pursuing academic excellence,” she said.

The Vice President also rejected accusations that she had exhibited rudeness toward fellow students at the school.

Duterte further said that the ongoing hearings into the two impeachment complaints filed against her were politically motivated.

She claimed that the government’s failure to provide adequate relief to the public during a time of crisis was not due to a lack of resources, but because of time spent on “political maneuvering.”

“The failure of the administration to provide relief in this price crisis is not due to a lack of resources, but because public funds are being used for political maneuvering to avoid accountability for the corrupt budget in our country’s history,” Duterte said.