The Office of the President has warned of a constitutional crisis if the House of Representatives will continue with its probe of the OVP expenditures notwithstanding the pendency of a Supreme Court case on the same issue.

In a statement issued released on Thursday night (Oct. 17), the office of Vice President Sara Duterte decried the ongoing House probe as “unnecessary” “because it does not satisfy the requirement enshrined int he Constituion regarding inquiries in aid of legislation.”

“While the OVP recognizes the power of the Lower House to condut such an inquiry in aid of legislation, the ongoing congressional probe, which stemmed from Privilege Speech No. 379 of the Hon. Rolando Valeriano last September 3, 2024, is not in aid of legislation,” the OVP statement read.

Duterte’s office released the statement just as the media started releasing stories relating the Commission on Audit report that exposed the questionable huge disbursement of confidential and intelligence funds of the OVP, especially for expenditures in the rental of safehouses in 2022.

COA representatives presented the CIF disbursement documents during the hearing conducted by the House Committee on Good Government that has been investigating the OVP expenses.

The OVP said the issues being tackled by the House panel are the same legal controversies that are awaiting SC’s decision, thus, a conflict between the two may occur.

“Such conflicts may unnecessarily create a Constitutional Crisis between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court, which will only prejudice the stability of the nation’s democratic systems and the broader interests of the public we serve,” stressed Duterte’s agency.

According to the OVP the CIF disbursements are already being subjected to COA audit.

“Thus, it becomes completely unnecessary for the House panel to conduct a legislative inquiry into the budget utilization and accomplishment of the OVP,” it added.