Shadows of Accountability: A Discourse Analysis on the Dynamics of Political Retreat and Public Accountability in VP Sara Duterte’s Confidential Funds

Abstract

This exploratory study conducts a discourse analysis on the media coverage associated with Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte’s withdrawal of an appeal for substantial confidential government funds. This study investigates how confidential funds are used in the Philippines. It examines how public opinion is shaped by the way the media presents the issue of confidential funds. The relationship between hidden funds and the maintenance of the status quo power structures between the public and the government is investigated in this study through a mixed method. Results say that there are several ways in which the media presents the problem of confidential funds. Media sources present inevitable annoyance, contending that the government requires private finances to safeguard law enforcement and national security intelligence.

Presenters

Maria Theresa Santos
Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Letters, Bulacan State University, Bulacan, Philippines

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

2024 Special Focus—Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities

KEYWORDS

CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS, VP SARA DUTERTE, DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, POLITICS