P112.5-M cash advances: House eyes plunder raps vs Sara

Failure on the part of Vice President Sara Duterte to fully account for the P112.5 million in confidential funds she advanced during her time as education secretary will make her liable for plunder, a senior administration lawmaker warned yesterday.

- By DELON PORCALLA

"These funds are taxpayers' money, and we have to ensure that these are spent judiciously," Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said, referring to three separate checks issued, each worth P37.5 million, during the first three quarters of 2023, when Duterte was still leading the Department of Education.

"If the VP, as head of the Department of Education then, cannot give us a clear explanation as to how these were spent, then it is our duty as lawmakers to pursue what is necessary and legal, which may include the recommendation for plunder, to protect the public interest," Gonzales stressed.

"If she cannot explain how this P112.5 million was spent, we may have no choice but to consider recommending the filing of a plunder case," he reiterated.

With the threshold for plunder set at P50 million, the P112.5 million in question significantly surpasses that limit, according to the lawmaker.