Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday praised the 'gentlemanly' exchange between Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Senator Jose 'Jinggoy' Estrada during a Senate hearing on the alleged misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte. However, the article title refers to a debate between 'Poa' and 'Diokno'—likely referring to COA Commissioner Roland Café Poa and Senator Jose Manuel 'Chel' Diokno—over the release of Vice President Duterte's tax and bank records. Escudero noted that the discussion remained civil and focused on legal procedures.
During the hearing, Poa argued that COA is bound by law to protect the confidentiality of tax and bank records, citing Section 270 of the National Internal Revenue Code and the Bank Secrecy Law. Diokno countered that the Senate's oversight function may override such confidentiality when there is a compelling public interest, such as investigating the use of P125 million in confidential funds. Escudero, who was not directly involved in the exchange, later told reporters that the debate was 'a model of how disagreements should be handled in a democracy.'
The hearing was part of a broader inquiry into the disbursement of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Duterte headed until July 2024. The Senate committee on accountability of public officers, chaired by Senator Estrada, is looking into allegations that the funds were used for personal expenses rather than legitimate security operations. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing and has refused to submit her bank records, citing privacy laws.
Escudero's remarks come amid heightened political tensions between the executive and legislative branches, with some lawmakers calling for tighter oversight of confidential funds. The Senate is expected to continue its hearings in the coming weeks, with a possible subpoena for Duterte's bank records if voluntary compliance is not achieved.
