A decrease in Vice President Sara Duterte’s trust and approval ratings may be tied to her refusal to address questions about the use of confidential and intelligence funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education (DepEd), according to a lawmaker. The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability’s inquiry, which has spotlighted the VP’s handling of these funds, is set to resume on Tuesday.
Representative Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. of the TVP Party-list stated that Duterte’s reluctance to disclose details has affected public trust. “If you continue to hide and avoid questions that should be answered, your ratings will drop because how can Filipinos trust you if you’re not forthcoming?” Teves said.
The investigation centers on the OVP’s expenditure of P16 million of its P125 million confidential fund within 11 days in 2022, with questions also raised over a total of P70 million in missing funds. The scrutiny includes verifying the proper use and beneficiaries of these funds, with Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre highlighting the importance of accountability. Acidre noted that understanding fund allocations is essential to prevent similar issues in the future.
House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. has suggested the potential for filing a plunder case if the VP cannot account for P112.5 million. Acidre acknowledged this possibility, emphasizing that while accountability is a primary focus, the investigation also aims to rectify systemic issues in fund management.
Duterte’s recent decline in public perception is underscored by a six-point drop in trust ratings and an eight-point drop in her performance rating, as reported in the OCTA Research survey for the third quarter of 2024.
GMA News Online has reached out to Duterte’s camp for a response but has not yet received a statement.