Vice President Sara Duterte (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Majority and minority members of the House of Representatives are on the same page--Vice President Sara Duterte should drop her "squid tactics" and answer the damning Commission on Audit (COA) findings from her tenure as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.

This, as congressmen from either side of the fence believe that the lady official is once again dodging the main issue at DepEd by claiming that there is a "Makabayan-Romualdez-Marcos alliance" moving against her.

The Makabayan bloc refers to a faction within the House minority bloc. Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Marcos refers to the House majority bloc and then administration in general.

Assitant Majority Leader Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 4 condemned the claim of an alliance. Instead, he highlighted the need for transparency and accountability, especially when faced with clear evidence of underperformance.

“The COA report paints an alarming picture of DepEd’s failures under Vice President Duterte’s leadership. Completing only 192 out of 6,379 target classrooms is not just a minor oversight—it’s a gross neglect of duty,” noted Bongalon, a lawyer.

“This is not about politics; it’s about the future of our children and the efficient use of public funds,” Bongalon stressed.

He argued that while Duterte may have resigned as DepEd secretary last July, she cannot simply walk away from the consequences of her leadership. “These problems are now left to her successor, Secretary Sonny Angara, who is expected to clean up the mess she left behind."

Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre echoed these concerns, and pressed the Vice President to confront the issues head-on.

“The COA’s findings on the minimal completion of Last Mile Schools and the inefficient use of the Basic Education Facilities Fund are not just numbers on a page—they represent broken promises to our most vulnerable students,” he said.

Acidre added: “Vice President Duterte's attempt to shift the focus to rising food prices and political conspiracies is a disservice to the millions of students who rely on DepEd to provide a conducive learning environment. She must account for these failures, and we expect no less."

He agreed that Vice President Duterte’s resignation from DepEd “does not absolve her of responsibility".

'No such alliance exists'

Over in the minority bloc, Makabayan solons ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel denounced in a separate statement Wednesday the Vice President's "latest attempt to deflect the public's attention from the pressing issue of her misuse of confidential funds by fabricating a supposed Makabayan-Romualdez-Marcos alliance".

"It is imperative to set the record straight: no such alliance exists," the militant lawmakers stressed.

"Rather than resorting to these squid tactics, Vice President Duterte should directly and truthfully respond to the questions to be raised during the interpellations on her office's next budget briefing scheduled for Sept. 10. She is expected to attend and explain to the committee how public funds were used."

Castro was the first to compare the Vice President to a "pusit", or squid. A squid excretes ink as a way to evade its predators.

"Vice President Duterte's refusal to answer legitimate questions regarding her budget spending demonstrates a disregard for the principles of transparency, accountability, and the constitutional duties she swore to uphold. The misuse of public funds of the OVP and DepEd is an impeachable offense, particularly given the severe lack of funding for social services," Makabayan reiterated.

The militant solons further said that "It is ironic for someone to tell lawmakers 'magtrabaho muna' (do you job first) when she has a zero accomplishment rate for the DepEd computerization program, only three percent of her target classrooms built, P9.6B worth of laptops delayed for years and her nutribuns for feeding kids stale or moldy."

"So, enough with VP Duterte's squid tactics, we demand accountability," they said.