Lawmaker hits VP Duterte’s alleged 'lack of respect for check and balances'

(UPDATED) The House Committee on Appropriations deferred on Tuesday the approval of the proposed P2.03 billion budget for the Office of the Vice President next year, after Vice President Sara Duterte repeatedly asked to “forgo the opportunity to defend the budget through question and answer” to several questions raised by congressmen.

Some congressmen criticized Duterte’s behavior as alleged “lack of respect” for transparency, and checks and balances regarding her office’s budget.

“Will it be fair to conclude that the programs under the OVP may not be as high priority or as important as we had hoped for? Or should we interpret the response and the demeanor of the Vice President that we, the elected representatives of the people and the people we represent, do not deserve an explanation on how public funds would be spent by her office,” House Deputy Majority Leader and TINGOG Party List Representative Jude Acidre said.

“All the answers are in the audio-visual presentation, the documents submitted to the secretariat, the opening statement and the Power Point presentation,” Duterte replied.

“Ang publiko ay may karapatan malaman ito kaya tayo nagku-question kaugnay nito. This us about transparency and accountability, and it doesn’t exempt the Office of the Vice President,” Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas said.

“Nakakalungkot kasi nandito tayo lahat para tayo malinawan kung ano talaga ‘yong nangyari lalong-lalo na sa budget ng Vice President pagdating sa confidential funds, and ‘yong budget niya ngayong 2025.  Kaya lang hindi na rin ako magtatanong kasi alam ko paulit-ulit din ‘yong kanyang isasagot. So nakaka-frustrate lang dahil ito ay pera ng taumbayan,” House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Representative Jefferson Khonghun told the panel.

“I would like to thank the Vice President for showing her true colors to the House, and her lack of respect for check and balances and the separation of powers, and accountability,” he added.

“We are a republic. We don’t have a king or a queen.  Now Madam Chair, dahil hindi naman masagot ni VP Sara ‘yong mga katanungan ng miyembro, may I move now to defer the hearing of the budget of the Office of the Vice President,” Khonghun said.

Without any objections, his motion was approved. The House panel will continue deliberating on the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget on September 10.

SCRIPTED?

Duterte claimed she received information that congressmen will follow a “script” to ask about her office’s confidential funds, which they denied.

“I will not betray the confidence of some members of the House of Representatives. Mayroong isa sa mga nagtanong kanina ang nagsabi sa akin na mayroong script sa pagtatanong about sa confidential funds. That’s why I decided hindi pa-attend-in ‘yung mga ibang officials ng Office of the Vice President,” Duterte said.

“Kasi Madam Chair, noong nagsagutan na kayo, ikaw, Representative Quimbo, saka Representative Castro about the 11 days, 19 days, ilang days na ‘yong utilization, nakita ko na that was the start of an attack against the Office of the Vice President and i-hinge ‘yung attack on the confidential fund use. So nakita na namin ‘yung timelines and nakita na namin ‘yong kumbaga, script sa narrative ng attack on the Office of the Vice President with regards to confidential funds,” she added.

“So to show goodwill to the people and para mapabigyan ng mukha na sinabi namin na […] napapadali ang trabaho namin dahil sa confidential funds dahil nata-target namin kung saan dapat ilagay ang proyekto pero pwede kaming magtrabaho nang walang confidential funds.  That is the reason why hindi na namin ginamit ang fourth quarter confidential funds sa Office of the Vice President to show the people, the public, that we are in good faith sa paggamit ng confidential funds and we are true to our word na sinabi naming napapadali ang trabaho pero pwedeng i-give up ‘yan,” the Vice President noted.

Quimbo turned emotional as she asserted that her response to ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro’s question on confidential funds during the House plenary budget deliberations last year was in no way planned.

“It was in no way planned action on my part. That was the most difficult moment in my 5 years in Congress. Tinanong ako ng isang tranong, I just had to say the truth. Nakabase sa liquidation report at kitang-kita n’yo naman doon sa notice of disallowance na ginamit po siya from December 21-31 at’ pag bilangin po natin ang mga araw na ‘yan mula 21-31 ay indeed 11 days,” Quimbo explained.

“Simula noong moment na yan ay naging napakahirap ng buhay ko. No rational human being would ever want to plan her life that way. So there's absolutely no way that can be planned on my part,” she added.

“I take strong exception doon sa sinabi ni VP kanina na nagkaka-buhol-buhol na ‘yung script kasi sa totoo lang, wala naman tayong script dito.  Ano ang ibig sabihin ng ating VP? Is she accusing Congress?  Ang sa akin lang is dapat ready i-prove ng ating Vice President, otherwise, we should strike it off the record,” Khonghun, for his part, said.

Without any objections to his motion, Duterte’s claim was stricken off the records.