The Philippine Senate moved on June 23 to formalize a resolution calling for a full audit of all government offices that received confidential and intelligence funds between 2020 and 2024. The move comes amid the political firestorm surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte, but senators emphasized the need for universal transparency, not selective targeting.
Senators aligned with the opposition support the resolution as a step toward fiscal accountability. However, conservatives have countered that the resolution conveniently overlooks high-profile spending by left-leaning agencies and local governments during the same period. The measure has ignited debates over political hypocrisy and the true intent behind institutional “reform.”
Right-leaning lawmakers welcomed the audit in principle but called for its complete application to all levels of government, including the Senate itself. They argue that if public trust is the goal, then no office should be exempt. Vice President Duterte’s office issued a statement saying it “fully supports any effort that seeks to eliminate corruption without bias or political agenda.”
For many Filipinos, the escalating probe is starting to look less like a cleanup and more like a proxy war for the 2028 elections. And in that war, the optics of impartiality could determine who emerges as the true reformer—and who gets tagged as the opportunist.
