Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Rep. Manuel's office, Facebook)

Vice President Sara Duterte's non-appearance for the scheduled House plenary debate on the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) proposed 2025 budget "is a clear betrayal of public trust". 

Thus, said Makabayan member Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel in a manifestation at 2:47 a.m. Tuesday, almost 17 hours after the plenary debates began at 10 a.m. the previous day, Monday. 

"We actually waited for 17 hours," said Manuel. 

"This is a clear betrayal of public trust as every elected official is accountable to the electorate. And thus obliged to answer any question that concerns public interest," said Manuel, who belongs to the minority bloc in the House of Representatives. 

In a manifestation just minutes earlier, Deputy Majority Leader Pangasinan 6th district Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas said that out of all the agencies listed for plenary deliberation, only the OVP didn't push though. 

"We have disposed of all the items in the agenda today, except for one, the budget of the...OVP," Primicias-Agabas said. 

"We have just checked the holding room of the OVP in the House of Representatives premises, and there are no persons present. We have also checked with the Committee on Appropriations secretariat and no letter had been received explaining their absence," she noted.

The OVP has a proposed budget of P2.037 billion under House Bill (HB) No.10800 or the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) of 2025. 

'Kapag ayaw niyo ibigay, masama kayo'

Manuel couldn't hide his frustration over the turn of events. 

"Mr. Speaker, pag ang bata nanghingi ng pera sa magulang para sa school project or school fee, dapat mag-explain. Hindi binibigyan pag di nagpapaliwanag. Kapag may natanggap, dapat may resibo para patunayan paano gumastos. Obligasyong magpaliwanag," said the youth solon. 

(If a child ask his or her parents for money for a school project or school fee, he or she must explain why. No money is given if there is no explanation. If money is received, then there must be a receipt to prove the expenditures. There is an obligation to explain.) 

"Pero kapag sitting Vice President, pag nag-propose ng budget mula sa kaban ng bayan, parang ang gustong iparamdam sa mga Pilipino ay, 'Bahala na kayo kung ibibigay niyo o hindi ang hinihingi ko. Pero kapag ayaw niyo ibigay, masama kayo,'" Manuel said. 

(But if it's the sitting Vice President who proposes a budget from public coffers, what she wants Filipinos to feel is, 'It's up to you if you're going to give me what I'm asking for. But if you don't want to give it to me, then you're evil.)

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/23/did-vp-duterte-skip-house-budget-debate-for-beach-trip-ortega-wants-to-know

She's consistent

Manuel said that Vice President Duterte has been consistent with her tact throughout this year's budget process. He said she was evasive during the Committee on Appropriations hearing she attended last Aug. 27, and no-showed the panel's follow-up hearing last Sept. 10. 

On Sept. 18, during an inquiry of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on OVP's fund usage, the lady official attended but refused to take her oath, and left early. 

Manuel also chided Vice President Duterte for repeatedly brushing off the criticisms hurled at her and her office regarding budget usage as "political attacks".

Agabas clarified that, shortly before 10 a.m., Monday, the head of the legal office of the OVP along with two other individuals arrived at the session hall. 

"However, they did not possess any written communication as required by our rules authorizing them to represent the OVP,"  she noted. 

The Pangasinan solon then made a motion to instead tackle the OVP budget as part of the plenary debate Thursday at 10 a.m. 

Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales, the presiding officer at that time, carried the motion after nobody objected to it. The session was suspended st 2:56 a.m.