Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s Officials Attend House Hearing over OVP, DepEd Budget Use
SARA DUTERTE’S OFFICIALS – The officials of the Office of the Vice President denied having roles in the release of the confidential funds.
The use of the budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) as well as the Department of Education’s funds during the term of Vice Pres. Duterte became controversial amid the repeated instances when the Vice President skips the House inquiry.
Duterte appeared on the very first hearing over the budget use of her office. However, after it, the Vice President refused to attend the succeeding hearings set by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte skipped the recent November 20 hearing over her office’s Confidential Funds use. According to the Vice President, she already appeared on the first hearing and she was not even asked. The Vice President decided to leave the inquiry early.
Recently, the staff and officials of the Office of the Vice President appeared at the hearing set by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability. Based on a report on GMA News. at the hearing, Vice President chief of staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez claimed that she had no role in the release of the controversial Confidential Funds of the OVP.
OVP Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Gerome Tenido, Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey, Director for Administrative and Finance Services Rosalynne Sanchez, and Budget Division officer-in-charge Edelyn Rabago also made a similar claim.
Based on the report, following the claim of the officials of the Office of the Vice President, House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed his belief that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte should be the one to attend the hearing and explain the matter. He raised the possibility that only the Vice President knew how the budget was used.
“Dapat lang siyang sumipot at mag-oath, mag-salita at mag-eksplika… Siya lang yata may alam kung anong nangyari diyan sa mga pondo eh,” Romualdez said.
Based on the report, House Speaker Martin Romualdez believes that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte should not just let the OVP officials to speak on the issue surrounding the use of her office’s Confidential Funds. The House Leader made the statement in a chance interview during the relief assistance distribution to the typhoon victims in Albay.
Previously, Vice Pres. Duterte expressed her belief that the hearings were allegedly set to taint her reputation for the elections 2028. Duterte said she will still decide whether or not she will run for president in 2028.