OVP budget hearing: Sara goes ballistic

Vice President Sara Duterte went ballistic during yesterday's House of Representatives appropriations committee hearing on her office's proposed P2.037-billion budget for 2025 as she brushed aside almost all questions thrown at her by lawmakers.

- SHEILA CRISOSTOMO

In her opening speech, Duterte went on the offensive as she mentioned several issues that had been previously raised against her, including her security personnel, the confidential funds in her 2024 budget, the children's book she had written and her supposed impeachment by the lower chamber.

Before the interpellation started, however, she informed presiding officer and panel senior vice chairperson, Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, that she would not answer questions regarding the Office of the Vice President (OVP)'s proposed budget.

"I would like to forgo the opportunity to defend the budget in a question-and-answer format. I will leave it up to the House to decide on the budget submitted. We will just waste time here, the answers will be repetitive," Duterte said.

To which Quimbo replied: "Madam Vice President, we have 17 members listed for interpellation, and as you know, you've been here many times for our budget briefing, that this is an important part of the budget briefing. The General Appropriations Act is arguably the most important piece of legislation every year." Lawmakers proceeded to question Duterte, first of whom was Duterte's critic, ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro, who tried to ask Duterte about her office's confidential fund in the 2024 budget.

Castro explained that the OVP's confidential fund remains an unanswered concern, but she still failed to squeeze a response from Duterte.

This prompted Castro to liken Duterte to a squid that spits black ink when cornered, a remark deleted by the panel after voting.

Duterte pointed out that the OVP's budget for 2025 contains no allocation for confidential fund, so there is no point in questioning her about it.