Vice President Sara Z. Duterte lashed back at House Deputy Minority leader Rep. France Castro for insinuating that the former may be liable for multiple violations for using P125 million in confidential funds in 2022.
“We welcome the probe she recommended the Commission on Audit (undertake) on the 2022 OVP CF (confidential fund). Meanwhile, I hope she finds gratification and great joy over the thought of my impeachment from office. Enjoy,” said Duterte in a statement late Friday.
She added: “The seething disdain overwhelming France Castro these days is hardly concealed even by her capacity to string serious allegations against the Office of the Vice President.”
Castro, the ACT Teachers partylist representative, earlier said the Office of the Vice President had no appropriation for confidential funds in the 2022 General Appropriations Act.
Responding to the Makabayan bloc solon’s statement that she needed to explain how she incurred P125 million in obligations, the vice president said, “Ms. Castro doesn’t deserve an explanation because she did not come to class prepared — like a good teacher.”
“All she did was wildly and masterfully arrange some allegations against me and the OVP, which will all be answered once the probe is done and during the budget hearing,” Duterte added.
Castro, in a radio interview Saturday, was quick to say that her camp was not preparing for the vice president’s impeachment.
“What we are preparing is this CoA report. It is clear that if there are confidential funds, this should be expressly provided for in the budget. So, it’s important. We didn’t see anything,” she was quoted as saying in Filipino.
“The matter of impeachment is still premature. Maybe it was just played up too much,” a toned-down Castro said.