Army: No OVP, DepEd Funds for Youth Programs, Officer Testifies

A Philippine Army officer testified on Tuesday that the military received no money from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), the Department of Education (DepEd), or the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) for two youth programs that DepEd later cited to justify P15.54 million in confidential fund spending. Col. Manaros, an Army officer, stated that the Army had not received any funds from the OVP or DepEd for the two youth programs that DepEd had listed as recipients of confidential funds. This testimony comes amid growing concerns about the transparency of confidential fund utilization by government agencies. In the Philippines, government agencies, including the OVP and DepEd, are permitted to allocate a portion of their budgets to confidential funds, often due to the sensitive nature of their operations. However, the use of these funds is frequently subject to public scrutiny and demands for accountability. The testimony from the Army officer raises questions about the basis DepEd used to justify its confidential fund expenditures, potentially influencing future investigations and discussions surrounding government spending and transparency. This issue highlights the ongoing debate in Philippine politics regarding the management and allocation of confidential funds, particularly when they are linked to programs aimed at education and youth development, areas of significant public interest. Information source: Inquirer NewsInfo