THE House appropriations committee on Tuesday deferred for the second time the 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after VP Sara Duterte boycotted the hearing.
House appropriations committee chairman Zaldy Co also responded to Duterte’s video message attacking him and Speaker Martin Romualdez, saying it only tries to divert people’s attention from the issues hounding her.
“Obvious na diversionary tactic [ang sinabi ni Duterte]. Nililihis niya ang issue kasi ayaw niyang magpaliwanang,” said Co, who is also Ako Bicol party-list representative.
At the hearing for the 2025 OVP budget, Co said the budget hearings are the people’s way of accounting for where their money goes through their representatives in Congress.
He said the report from the Commission on Audit for the 2022 expenditures of the OVP noted that P125 million of its confidential funds were spent only in 11 days. The COA report also issued a notice of disallowance for P73 million of the same funds.
“Tinalo pa ang Napoles fund na 60 days ginastos ang pera,” he said.
Co is referring to Janet Napoles, the Filipina businesswoman who is believed to have masterminded the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scam. She was convicted of plunder for her involvement in the PDAF Scam and is facing charges for alleged involvement in the misuse of funds intended for disaster response operations.
“Waldas at lakwatsa ang lumalabas… nangurakot. Diversionary tactic, nililihis kasi ayaw niyang magpaliwanag. Nagsabi ang COA na mali ang paggastos nito. Kulelat ang mga bata, sirang pagkain at nutribun para sa mag-aaral. Malala ang panunungkulan. Di pumapasok sa DepEd sa gitna ng kapalpakan,” Co said of Duterte, who has resigned as Department of Education secretary.
The House appropriations committee chairman said Duterte is the only vice president in Philippine history with that many bodyguards.
“Sasabihin niyang simpleng tao lang siya pero mahigit 400 bodyguards. Siya ang kaisa-isang VP na may ganung kadaming security, may sarili pang Vice Presidential security group—very first time sa history ng Pilipinas. Pang-iinsulto ito at pag-aaksaya sa resources ng gobyerno,” said Co.
He said the Vice President has been very disrespectful of people’s representatives who have only been doing their job.
“Hindi siya sanay sa pagbubusisi ng budget. Ang hindi niya pagdalo sa budget hearing ay kawalan ng respeto at paggalang sa mga kinatawan ng bayan. Meron pang winalanghiyang mga sagot sa mga tanong. Pang-iinsulto ito sa mga kongresista na ginagawa lang ang kanilang trabaho,” Co said.
Also in the same hearing, Rep. Doris Maniquiz (2nd District, Zambales) said the OVP under Duterte spent P53 million for satellite and extension offices that duplicate the functions of the regional offices of the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, Health, Labor and Employment, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
“Dun sa OVP natin, lumalabas na 53 million ang lease niya per annum na kung tutuusin ay duplication lang ng line agencies natin,” she said. (
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