MANILA — Malacañang distanced itself from renewed calls to investigate Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s alleged misuse of P625 million in confidential funds, saying only the Office of the Ombudsman has jurisdiction over the matter.
“It’s in the hands of the Office of the Ombudsman,” said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro when asked on Tuesday about the mounting appeal for a formal probe.
The statement came after opposition coalition Tindig Pilipinas urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla to initiate an inquiry into Duterte-Carpio’s spending of confidential funds from 2022 to 2023, when she headed the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Duterte-Carpio, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in February, faces allegations of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds and making threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., among other charges.
A House good government and public accountability committee earlier reported numerous irregularities in the OVP’s liquidation records — including receipts with erroneous dates, questionable signatories, and unreadable or missing names — casting doubt on how the funds were disbursed.
Duterte-Carpio has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
In July, the Supreme Court ruled that her impeachment violated due process and the constitutional one-year bar on impeachment proceedings, after the House introduced new procedural requirements not in effect when she was ousted.
Remulla, meanwhile, said that while he had yet to review the formal request from the opposition, findings from the House probe would serve as “useful information” in assessing whether an Ombudsman investigation is warranted. “We will act accordingly,” he said./PN
