The Senate yesterday approved without questions the proposed P733-million budget proposal of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed P733-million budget.
The Senate Finance Committee adopted the House of Representatives’ decision to reduce the OVP budget from the original P2 billion proposed in the National Expenditure Program submitted by the Executive Department to Congress.
Unlike the hearings conducted in the House of Representatives, Vice President Sara Duterte personally attended the budget deliberations for her office. After the approval, the Vice President also posed for a photo with the senators.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go pointed out that the OVP’s budget cut would affect various programs, including *Magnegosyo Ta ‘Day*, as well as medical, educational, and burial assistance programs, and disaster response efforts.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa moved to adopt the budget but said he would introduce amendments at the proper time.
Meanwhile, House leaders criticized anew Vice President Sara Duterte’s repeated dismissal of the House investigation into her alleged mismanagement of hundreds of millions in government funds, which she has labeled as “politically motivated.”
They argued that Duterte’s insistence that “no wrongdoing has been proven” appears to be a diversionary tactic to sidestep the core issue of transparency and accountability, especially as the documents under scrutiny are based on official records from the Commission on Audit (COA).
“This is not about politics. This is about accountability and transparency,” said Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which is investigating the alleged misuse of public funds by Vice President Duterte, particularly the confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) amounting to P500 million in the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million in the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was head of the agency.
Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, dismissed Duterte’s claims of political motivation as a familiar and convenient excuse to avoid scrutiny.
Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun also countered Duterte’s claims that the records under review were “fake,” noting that the documents came directly from the COA.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the committee on dangerous drugs, clarified that the objective of the inquiry is not to declare guilt but to pursue accountability.
“We’re not here to pass judgment. But when public funds are involved, it is our duty to investigate and ensure accountability,” Barbers said, urging Duterte’s office to cooperate fully in the spirit of transparency.
Duterte earlier voiced strong criticism of recent House hearings, calling them a form of “political persecution.”
She specifically alleged that the ongoing scrutiny faced by her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte—who appeared before a Quadcom hearing yesterday in the House of Representatives —mirrors what she views as a pattern of unjust treatment.
Duterte criticized the flexibility with which House rules are applied, saying they are used “according to their pleasure,” and noted that the rules appear to change depending on the person involved.
