MANILA, Philippines – The House appropriations committee tackles the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for the second time on Tuesday, September 10, after Vice President Sara Duterte’s repeated refusal to answer questions during proceedings in August prompted lawmakers to withhold the agency’s funding request.
During the first round of budget deliberations on August 27, lawmakers tried to get answers from Duterte on her past confidential expenses, as well as specifics on her proposed 2025 budget, but Duterte offered vague, scripted responses, while interrupting the presiding officer, trying to have that presiding officer replaced, accusing leftist lawmakers of having communist ties, and questioning House rules.
She also accused House members of plotting her impeachment.
The apparent unparliamentary behavior prompted lawmakers to defer that round of budget deliberations, keeping the OVP’s budget request with the committee instead of elevating it to the House plenary.
Lawmakers have since intensified their criticism of Duterte, with some considering a lower budget for her office in 2025, and others calling her out for her supposed sense of entitlement for not wanting to defend her funding request of P2.037 billion for next year.
Ahead of Tuesday’s briefing, Duterte decried the “spoiled brat” label.
“Isa din itong parang atake din nila na parang ‘Oh, bratinella ‘yan.’ Kahit sumagot naman ako, hindi nga lang sa gusto nila (This is one of their attacks, to say ‘Oh, she’s a bratinella,’ even though I answered, just not in the way they wanted),” Duterte said on Monday, September 9, in a taped interview distributed by her office to the media. – Rappler.com