MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ appropriations panel deferred the budget deliberations for the Office of the Vice President as tension ran high over Sara Duterte’s refusal to answer questions about allocation and on issues related to confidential funds.
In a motion raised by Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun, the committee deferred the deliberations as Duterte merely said that she would “forgo the opportunity to answer the 2025 Office of the Vice President’s budget proposal and will leave it to the House of Representatives.”
Khonghun said Duterte’s answer was “frustrating because this is the people’s money.”
HOT SEAT Vice President Sara Duterte questions the committee rules during the deliberations of the budget of her office at the House of Representatives on Aug. 27, 2024. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE
“I would like to thank the Vice President for showing her true colors in the House and her lack of respect for checks and balances,” Khonghun said.
Since Duterte could not answer the questions of all members, Khonghun moved to defer the hearing to September 10 at 9 a.m.
Speaking to reporters after the briefing, OVP budget sponsor and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said that he was a bit “frustrated” after Duterte did not answer questions on the budget from the committee.
However, he is hopeful that the budget proposal would be passed once they discussed the OVP’s requests before the next deliberations.
“I would really want to know from her staff, her office, what prompted her to prioritize the programs and projects that she included in the proposed budget for her office, I want to have a levelling off so it would be easy for me to defend the budget,” Adiong said.
The budget of the OVP is normally given a “courtesy approval” and this is the first time that it has been deferred.
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