- UNA cites COA report, says Duterte misused P45 million from the Special Education Fund
- Party says mayor’s use of funds inconsistent with the purpose of SEF
- Duterte camp dismisses allegations, says funds were used in line with the law
- Mayor’s spokesman blasts UNA, calls accusations a desperate black propaganda attempt
MANILA, Philippines – Are the gloves slowly coming off as far as the two camps are concerned?
Citing a 2015 Commission on Audit (COA) report, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) accused Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of malversing more than P45.8 million from his city’s Special Education Fund (SEF) when he used the money to pay for the expenses of the athletes and coaches of Davao City’s public schools, including “plane fares of coaches and students, fuel for various vehicles, insurance premium for vehicles, accident insurance for coaches and students, and grocery items, medical supplies, and payment for electricity, water and telephone bills.”
Quoting the law, UNA said the SEF shall be used exclusively for the “extension classes for children entering Grade 1, improvement of elementary school facilities, printing or purchase of textbooks and teaching materials, payment of salaries of public school teachers, purchase or repair of vocational and laboratory machinery and equipment, educational research, scholarship grants, and the promotion of physical education.”
“If he really were tough on crime and corruption as he projects himself to be, why were there anomalies committed under his watch?” UNA spokesman Mon Ilagan was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as saying.
Nice Try at Black Propaganda
Reacting to UNA’s accusation, the camp of Duterte hit back and said the allegations are nothing more than a desperate attempt to divert public attention away from the corruption allegations hounding their bet.
“We see UNA desperately trying to muddle and confuse the public as it evades the allegations of corruption hounding VP Binay right now,” Duterte spokesman Peter Laviña said.
According to Laviña who described the issue as rehashed, the mayor’s use of the funds was in line with the law.
“Based on the information I received from the Department of Education, the questioned funds were used for the promotion of physical education programs, which is allowed under the law,” he said. “The funds were used to send athletes and their coaches to sporting events across the country. These programs are basically designed to promote physical education programs. What’s wrong with that?”
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