BREAK WITH TRADITION The proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President has yet to hurdle committee-level discussions at the House of Representatives, which has traditionally passed the Vice President’s budget with no fuss. | File photo
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday refused to take oath during the House hearing on a privilege speech about issues involving her, forcing lawmakers to direct questions to other resource persons.
During the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, panel chairperson Joel Chua asked resource persons to take their oaths, but Duterte refused, saying it is only required for witnesses.
“When you sent a letter to the Office of the Vice President you attached a copy of the rules, in aid of legislation … It was stated there that only witnesses are required to take an oath. You said we are resource persons,” Duterte said.
READ: VP rebuked by House Panel via vote — and ‘pusit’ lunch?
Chua fired back, saying that witnesses are “considered as resource persons.”
“You are a resource person, yes po, the oath is administered to all,” he said.
Duterte, however, insisted that sworn testimony is only for witnesses, leading Chua to again say that witnesses and resource persons are only interchangeable terms.
READ: Sen. Bato defends VP Sara as OVP budget cut looms
“Stated in your rules, witnesses, but on our table, stated is that we are resource persons … In your rules, only witnesses take an oath. You do not have a rule on resource persons,” the Vice President said.
“All are considered as resource persons and witnesses. You are all resource persons pa eh, we still do not have a so-called [investigation], all of you are resource persons only … Ma’am, that’s only a term, that’s a mere term only but you are considered as resource persons,” Chua replied.
READ: Sara Duterte’s secret fund spending ‘a violation twice over’
Arroyo helps VP Duterte
Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo then manifested that there has been jurisprudence about the issue.
Duterte approached Arroyo and Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta.
Chua then allowed Duterte to refrain from taking an oath.
“In any event, the point of the Honorable Arroyo is well taken, but we will proceed to the oath-taking. If the Vice President refuses to take her oath, we will respect that,” he said.
Duterte remained in her seat while the oath was being administered to resource persons. Eventually, she asked to be excused, which was also allowed by Chua as she did not answer questions.
Duterte was in the Batasang Pambansa complex to attend the hearing of the House committee, which was convened to discuss the privilege speech of Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano last September 3.
Valeriano questioned the presentation made by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) during the deliberations on its 2025 budget, particularly the status of its aid programs that were reportedly limited within the National Capital Region from 2023 to 2025.
2025 budget proposal
According to the lawmaker, the OVP has stated in their 2025 budget proposal that there are 977,615 beneficiaries. However, Valeriano said it cannot be ascertained if the beneficiaries are real people and not ghost beneficiaries.
Duterte maintained that the new hearing aims to discredit her.
“What we are witnessing now is no ordinary legislative inquiry. This exercise is a well-funded and coordinated political attack. This much is evident from the very words of the privilege speech that prompted this inquiry. A speech that simply meant to say, do not vote for Sara in 2028,” the Vice President said.
“It is clear to me that this inquiry is not about misused funds, accountability or governance, instead it is only aimed at discrediting my name and my office, to prevent future political contests,” she added.
Duterte and the OVP are currently under fire after budget hearings at the House revealed issues on its confidential funds (CFs) in 2022 and 2023 and anomalies in the delivery of projects.
The Commission on Audit issued a notice of disallowance on P73.2 million of the OVP’s P125-million CF for 2022 — an item that several lawmakers said should not be available in the first place as the original budget crafted under former Vice President Leni Robredo did not have such.