黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante called out Vice President Sara Duterte for skipping the House of Representatives hearings on her office鈥檚 budget.

He said even the country鈥檚 second-highest official should not insult the House of Representatives.

According to Abante, Vice President Duterte鈥檚 letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and House committee on appropriations head Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co would not suffice because she has to be present to defend the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

鈥淢y goodness, I think that her writing a letter to us telling us that she has completed [鈥�] she still must be present Madam Chair. And because she is not present, she is actually insulting this sacred institution that should scrutinize the budget of the Vice President,鈥� Abante said in a manifestation during Tuesday鈥檚 hearing.

鈥淎nd I do not care even if she is the Vice President, Madam Chair, I will not allow that Congress will be insulted by the head of any agency,鈥� he added.

Duterte opted to not attend the House hearing on Tuesday and just submitted a letter to the panel. In her letter, Duterte said the OVP already submitted 鈥渁ll necessary documentation to the House of Representatives-Committee on Appropriations, including a detailed presentation on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025.鈥�

Tuesday鈥檚 hearing was a continuation of the House committee鈥檚 deliberations on the OVP spending plan next year. During the last hearing on August 27, Duterte refrained from giving direct answers to lawmakers鈥� questions surrounding her office鈥檚 expenditures which led to the postponement of the proceedings.

Duterte鈥檚 absence on Tuesday, however, raised more questions, according to Abante.

The lawmaker likewise noted that even the Commission on Audit (COA) representatives have conceded that certain questions could only be answered by the OVP.

鈥淚t is also a cherished tradition in Congress that whenever we deliberate the budget of a certain agency, that the head of the agency must be present. At this point in time, there are no staff here, or head of agency present in the Office of the Vice President [鈥�] the COA even answered that only the OVP would be able to answer that,鈥� Abante said.

READ: Advice to Sara Duterte on her budget: Don鈥檛 act like 鈥榚ntitled brat鈥�

鈥淧erhaps we could be able to say, earlier Congressman (Rodante) Marcoleta said it鈥檚 a cherished tradition to approve the budget immediately, but there鈥檚 a cherished tradition that when we deliberate the budget of any agency, that the head of agency should be present,鈥� he added.

Abante was referring to Marcoleta鈥檚 criticism of the House panel, which supposedly failed to observe the tradition of giving courtesy to the OVP because the committee went on to scrutinize the agency鈥檚 proposed budget.

Marcoleta made a motion to terminate deliberations on the OVP鈥檚 budget and give parliamentary courtesy to Duterte鈥檚 office in respect of the long-standing tradition of the House.聽 But several lawmakers objected to Marcoleta鈥檚 plea.

READ: 鈥楽top the drama鈥�: VP Duterte told to answer House鈥檚 queries on budget

Eventually, Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo put Marcoleta鈥檚 motion to a vote. Forty-five approved the continuation of deliberations on the OVP鈥檚 2025 budget, while only three 鈥� Marcoleta, Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab, and Davao Occidental Rep. Claude Bautista 鈥� backed the motion to terminate it.

ACT Teacher party-list Rep. France Castro and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas likewise slammed Duterte for her absence in Tuesday鈥檚 hearing.

They said that while the Vice President 鈥渕ay not like鈥� being questioned about her office鈥檚 expenses, 鈥渟he is accountable to the people鈥� as a public official.

鈥淪he may not like being questioned about the OVP expenses, she may not like sitting with us here in the House, but Madam Chair, she is accountable to the people, and she has a sworn duty to the Constitution as the head of the agency to be here para ipagtanggol o malaman natin ang budget niya (to defend or so we can be informed about the budget),鈥� the party-list lawmaker said.