On VP Sara Duterte’s Claim, DSWD Ready To Provide Proof against “Politicizing”
DSWD – Social welfare department chief Rex Gatchalian denied the “politicizing” claim of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte on some government agencies.
With regards to the 2025 budget of the different offices and agencies of the Philippine government, it was the budget proposal of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) that hooked the national attention. During the deliberations of the budget proposal, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte got involved in a spar with Senate and House members.
The office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was asking for a P2 billion budget for 2025 according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The budget proposal did not include confidential funds. The OVP was controversial in 2023 for its rapid spending of its 2022 CIFs.
During the Senate deliberation of the 2025 budget proposal of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Vice Pres. Sara Duterte had a spar with Senator Risa Hontiveros. The Vice President claimed “politicizing” against some government agencies and the Senator.
Hontiveros noticed that the OVP has similar assistance programs with the other government agencies. When asked by the senator, Duterte reasoned out that some referrals from her office were turned down by the other agencies thus they made their own.
Recently, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reacted to the claim of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on GMA News, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian stressed that the department accommodated all the assistance requests from the OVP.
According to Gatchalian, their investigation showed that both the social welfare and the OVP point persons could not determine the instance that support the claim of the Vice President. Based on the report, the DSWD Secretary even guaranteed that they have a proof that could prove that they accept the referrals from the office of Vice Pres. Duterte.
“We can furnish you the screenshots but we have to ask permission of Director Norman if he will also consent,” he said.
Based on the report, DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian also recalled that their office received a plaque of recognition from the OVP which acknowledged them as a “valued partner: of Duterte’s office.
“Meron din ho kaming parangal din doon and we’d gladly submit it to the committee as well,” the DSWD Secretary said.
The House of Representatives has decided to give the office of Vice Pres. Duterte a budget similar with the OVP fund under former Vice Pres. Leni Robredo during her term.