A quote card posted on the Facebook page of the Concerned Citizens: Crusade Against Corruption for Good Governance or CAC4GG featured a false quote from Vice President Sara Duterte about her office’s controversial P125-million confidential funds last year.
The edited graphic posted by Facebook user David Valencerina, one of CAC4GG administrators, on September 29 showed a photo of Duterte with the false quote:
“So what if I spent my 125 million pesos confidential funds in 19 days or 11 days as what the COA said? I can spend it in an hour or in a minute if I want to. That money is intended for my office and I can spend it the way I want it to be spent. By its nature it’s CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS and you have no business scrutinizing what is confidential.”
The edited graphic carried the logo of Sonshine Media Network Inc. (SMNI), the broadcasting arm of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that was founded by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
There is not a single news report quoting the vice president as having made such a statement on September 25, as claimed by the post at CAC4GG, a public group with 14,397 members as of October 2.
SMNI did post a graphic on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Sept. 5, but the original quote was:
“The Office of the Vice President is grateful to the leadership of the Senate committee on finance and its members for supporting the OVP proposed budget for 2024.
The budget will significantly allow for the safe, efficient, and successful implementation of the OVP programs, projects, and activities designed to provide immediate relief and long-term solutions to challenges such as poverty, livelihood, basic services, education, and other social inequalities facing many Filipinos in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”
The OVP received P125 million late last year from the Office of the President. The former treated the amount as confidential funds.
Media reports quoted Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo as saying on September 25 that the OVP spent that amount in 11 days.
Quimbo, who had previously defended the OVP’s confidential funds, said she got her information from the Commission on Audit. But Duterte insisted that it was spent in 19 days.
As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes leads or suggestions from the public to potential fact-check stories.
MindaNews is a verified signatory to the Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno / MindaNews)
