VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte defended the use of confidential and intelligence funds by the Department of Education (DepEd), saying that basic education is intertwined with national security.

During the hearing of DepEd's budget for 2024 at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman asked Duterte whether she sought the assistance of experienced uniformed officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) regarding the conduct of surveillance activities.