MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday, June 29, said her office didn’t request confidential funds from the 2025 national budget.

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Duterte made the announcement at the sidelines of an event in Cebu City. She was asked by reporters if she sought the controversial funds for next year. “For the Office of the Vice President (OVP), no, wala kaming proposal ng (We don’t have proposal for) confidential funds for [next year],” Duterte said.

Duterte had been under fire over the confidential funds issue, especially after it was learned that the Office of the President transferred P125 million in confidential funds to the OVP in 2022. It is now the subject of a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking the return of the funds, as the petitioners cited the act as a “clear usurpation of power of Congress.” (READ: The dangers of justifying VP Sara Duterte’s 2022 confidential funds)

Duterte had asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petitions assailing the constitutionality of the P125-million in confidential funds. She said the petitions did not present an actual case or controversy nor assert a legally enforceable right.

For the 2024 OVP budget, Duterte initially requested P500 million and P150 million in confidential funds for OVP and the Department of Education, respectively. However, she dropped her bid amid public outrage of her use of the said funds in 2022 because it was not included in budget of her predecessor, former vice president Leni Robredo. The OVP reportedly spent the said funds in just 11 days.

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Sara Duterte gives up bid for confidential funds: Mere political strategy?

The Vice President on June 19 announced her resignation from the Marcos Cabinet, relinquishing her positions as secretary of education and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

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Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman announced last week that the proposed 2025 national budget, which is set at P6.352-trillion, is equivalent to 22% of the country’s gross domestic product. – Rappler.com