Vice President Sara Duterte said on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that she will only attend the budget deliberations for the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2025 budget in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives.
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media during a press conference held in her Mandaluyong City office on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (Raymund Antonio/MANILA BULLETIN)
In a press conference, which was announced at the last minute, the official confirmed that the OVP already checked the schedule of the budget deliberations in the upper chamber.
“So, a-attend kami doon (we will attend),” Duterte told reporters.
However, she maintained that she already gave her reasons why the OVP will no longer attend future budget hearings in the lower chamber.
“At kasama na roon ‘yung rason kung bakit hindi na kami mag participate sa budget deliberations ng Office of the Vice President diyan sa House of Representatives dahil nga sabi ko dalawang tao lang naman yon nagdedecide diyan (Included is the reason why we will not participate in the budget deliberations of the Office of the Vice President there in the House of Representatives because only two people who decide there)—Congressman Zaldy Co and Congressman Martin Romualdez,” she said.
The Vice President earlier named the two high-ranking lawmakers as the ones in control of the nation’s coffers.
But for now, the official shared that “we take it one hearing at a time” and that the decision to attend a hearing goes through discussions between her and the OVP personnel.
Duterte also expressed full support for OVP personnel who refuse to attend the congressional hearings as resource persons.
“Right now, walang gustong pumunta doon sa kanila kasi ang concern ng lahat ay ‘yung pamilya nila (no one wants to go there because their concern is their families),” Duterte said.
“Sa kanila daw sarili walang problem (They said they don’t have a problem if it’s just them) because they are government employees so makakasagot sila. Ang hindi raw nila ma-control is ‘yung paninira sa pamilya nila (they can answer. But what they cannot control is the besmirching of their families),” she furthered.
Meanwhile, the official also said she is no longer hopeful that their original proposed budget of P2.037 billion will be reinstated after the House of Representatives recommended the approval of only P733.2 million for the OVP’s 2025 budget.
“Wala kaming expectations na mahabol pa yan kasi nga sinabi ko doon sa interview ko pagdating sa bicam, pagdating sa bicameral kung saan andun ‘yung dalawa (We don’t have expectations of having that reinstated because as I said in my interview, in the bicameral where the two are there)—Senate and House of Representatives—wala ring nasusunod doon except si (no one is in control except) Zaldy Co at si (and) Martin Romualdez,” she stressed.
Duterte, however, assured that the OVP can work with whatever budget will be approved for the agency.
“Sa 700 million, we will see kung ano yung maiwan (With the 700 million, we will see what will be left) and then we will work around that budget of the Office of the Vice President,” she said.
“Pero definitely, tutuloy pa rin ‘yung trabaho ano man ang budget ng (But definitely, the work will continue no matter what the budget is for the) Office of the Vice President,” she added.
Duterte is facing for the first time the possibility of working with a meager budget of less than a billion after both her proposed 2023 and 2024 spending allocations were approved in mere minutes.
The Vice President was again a no-show during the second day of the plenary debate in the House of Representatives for the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget, leaving the fate of the agency’s budget to the discretion of the House.