Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Finds House Probe on DepEd Fund Use “Unnecessary”
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President once again skipped the House hearing, this time on the probe of the use of the Department of Education (DepEd) fund under her stint.
In the last few weeks, Vice Pres. Duterte hooked different reactions and opinions from the people. Her absence in the hearings set by the House of Representatives left some individuals disappointed while there are also those who think that her no-show is a good move.
The House hearings were set for the deliberation of the 2025 budget proposal of the Office of the Vice President. According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the OVP is asking for P2 billion budget for 2025 with zero confidential funds.
ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France Castro called Vice Pres. Sara Duterte a “bratinella to the max” for not showing up at the House hearing. Her absence sparked the rumors that the OVP may be defunded or given a zero budget for 2025.
However, the said rumors did not bother the Vice President. She stressed that the OVP can continue to operate even without a budget. The Vice President asserted that the OVP is just a small office.
During the initial investigation of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on the fund use of DepEd which was held last week, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte showed up. However, based on a report on ABS-CBN News, on the succeeding hearing that was held today, the Vice President was no show.
According to the report, Vice Pres. Duterte sent a letter to the House of Representatives. She told the House “inquiry is based on unsubstantiated allegations”. She stated that the probe is allegedly based on the privilege speech of Cong. Rolando Valeriano.
“Cong. Valeriano merely cited the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budget of the OVP were concentrated in the National Capital Region. Such claims can be verified through the accomplishment reports submitted by the OVP,” the Vice President said.
Based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte stressed that the conduct of a formal inquiry is “unnecessary”. She also emphasized that “inquiries should not be adversarial nor prosecutorial. According to the Vice President, the Constitution protects the people’s right not to be forced by the House to participate in any legislative process.
“The House of Representatives does not hold any judicial or prosecutorial authority,” Duterte said.
Previously, amid the rumors that the OVP may be defunded, Vice Pres. Duterte reacted on the possibility that her office will be given a Piso or zero budget for 2025.