Amid ongoing scrutiny regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds within the Office of the Vice President, Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong urged authorities to hold every non-compliant government agency and official accountable.
During a Sunday radio interview, Adiong emphasized that confidential funds are strictly regulated and reserved for specific circumstances where expenditures cannot be drawn from an agency’s standard maintenance and operating budget.
“Ang gawin na lang natin, let’s run after those agencies and then let’s hold to account ‘yung mga personalities or mga officials na hindi niya tinutugunan ang … hindi niya ino-obey o kino-comply ang joint circular. That’s the proper course of action,” Adiong stated.
Adiong, who serves as a spokesperson for the House impeachment prosecution panel, pointed to Joint Circular 2015-01, the official directive governing the proper release, spending, and reporting of confidential and intelligence allocations.
He advocated for systemic reforms that enforce stricter operating procedures rather than blaming the financial mechanism itself.
“The issue should primarily focus on how agencies implement confidential funds rather than treating the funds themselves as inherently problematic,” he noted.
The lawmaker’s remarks coincide with ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, during which state auditors presented evidence alleging irregularities in how confidential funds were disbursed and liquidated by the OVP and the Department of Education under her leadership.
Adiong pointed out that, unlike the cases under review, other government bodies allocated confidential funds have generally complied with state audit regulations and submitted complete supporting documentation.