The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday said he will recommend the transfer of the proposed budget for social services of the Office of Vice President to line agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Education instead.
During the briefing for the P2.037 billion budget of the OVP, which Vice President Sara Duterte skipped, appropriations committee chairman and Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co recalled the poor track record of Duterte in handling public funds.
He cited as examples the P125 million confidential funds of the OVP that were spent in just 11 days in 2022 and the more than P12 billion DepEd expenses that were either suspended or disallowed by the Commission on Audit in its 2023 annual report.
“Amid all these funds misuse and apparent corruption, should we still entrust her with another P2 billion in 2025?” Co said.
“Should we give her P2 billion that she claims the OVP will use to help the poor? We should give this instead to the right agency. We will not allow even a single peso to again be squandered,” the Bicolano lawmaker said.
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe also warned the Vice President may be liable for graft if she cannot justify P73.2 million in intelligence expenses disallowed by COA and the supposed P12.3 billion in similar “disallowances and suspensions.”
“More than just allegations of mismanagement, she may be held liable for graft, for possible violation of the anti-graft laws, if she cannot adequately explain and justify the adverse findings, and if the COA does not accept her explanations and justifications,” Dalipe said.
He noted COA has been asking Duterte to return the P73.2 million disallowed from her spending of P125 million in intelligence funds that were used up in just 11 days, or P11.36 million a day, he said.
Committee members likewise balked at the effort of Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta to abruptly end the budget briefing, raising the value of tradition and inter-branch courtesy in the passage of the OVP budget.
“Courtesy accorded to the Office of the Vice President would be given if the head of agency is present. But she is not present in today’s hearing,” said Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano.
Co said Duterte should remember that the Philippines is a representative democracy.
“We are a democracy, not a monarchy—we have don’t have a king or a queen,” he said. “Our elected officials have no right to treat the representatives of the people as mere subjects.”
The Co-led appropriations committee deferred the passage of the OVP budget for a second time.
Co also responded to Duterte’s video message attacking him and Speaker Martin Romualdez, saying the Vice President was only trying to divert people’s attention from the issues hounding her.
“It is obviously a diversionary tactic. She is diverting the issue because she refuses to explain the expenses of the OVP,” he said.
Duterte said it was pointless to attend the budget hearing as Co and Romualdez are the ones calling the shots on the country’s budget.
House Assistant Majority Leaders Jil Bongalon (Ako Bicol party-list), Jay Khonghun (Zambales 1st District), and Francisco Paolo Ortega V (La Union 1st District) also denounced the Vice President’s refusal to face Congress.
“It is disheartening to see the Vice President avoid the scrutiny that comes with public office. Her actions show a lack of respect not only for Congress but for every Filipino. This is not the behavior of a true leader, she is like a child who hides when scolded,” Bongalon said.
Khonghun likewise said the Vice President’s behavior was “unbecoming” of someone in her position.
“This act of snubbing the budget deliberation reeks of a bratty attitude unbecoming of someone holding the second highest office in the land,” Khonghun said.
Ortega added: “This is a clear lack of respect in the process of budget deliberations. This is not the behavior of a leader who cares about the people. If she has nothing to hide, why is she avoiding it?”
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