SENATE deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros and Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday engaged in a heated exchange after the latter accused the senator of allegedly “politicizing” the Senate’s deliberations on the proposed P2.037 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) next year.
Hontiveros took offense at how Duterte responded to her question about the P10 million allotted for the OVP’s distribution of the children’s book entitled “Isang Kaibigan,” which is authored by Duterte.
The book distribution is part of the Million Learners and Tree program of the OVP, which has a P100 million budget request in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Hontiveros asked the Vice President to make a short description of the book project.
Duterte did not directly reply to the question and instead said that the books will be distributed for free. She also said she will send Hontiveros a copy of the book so she can find out for herself what it is about.
“Madam Chair, the book is not for sale. We only pay for the publication of the book…We will send Senator Hontiveros a copy so that she will know what is the content of the book,” Duterte said.
Hontiveros shot back that she was simply asking for a description of the book from the head of an agency whose budget they are deliberating on.
Duterte replied: “Madam Chair, this is an example of politicizing the budget hearing through the questions of a senator.”
“Ang problema niya kasi nakalagay yung pangalan ko doon sa libro at yung libro na yan ibibigay namin doon sa mga bata at yung mga bata na yan may mag magulang na boboto, at yung pangalan ko ay nagkalat doon sa kung saan man ibibigay yung libro (Her [Hontiveros’] problem is that my name is written all over the book which we will give to our young learners, who in turn have parents who are voters),” she also said.
To this, Hontiveros said: “Madam Chair, hindi ko maintindihan yung ugali ng ating resource person. It is a simple question. Paulit-ulit na this is politicizing. Ang VP ang nagbanggit ng saliting ‘boboto.’ Wala akong sinabing boboto. I’m simply asking. Hindi ko ma-imagine, we’re making so much trouble, so much fuss about a P10 million item na tinatanong ko lang simpleng ‘what is the book about?’… I don’t appreciate this kind of attitude, Madam Chair (Madam Chair, I cannot understand the attitude of our resource person. It is a simple question and yet she keeps on saying this is politicizing. The VP was also the one who mentioned the word ‘will vote.’ I did not say that. I’m simply asking. I cannot imagine, we’re making so much trouble, so much fuss about a P10 million item that I am simply asking what is the book about? I don’t appreciate this kind of attitude, Madam Chair).”
The Vice President then retorted that she, too, cannot understand Hontiveros’ attitude.
“Hindi ko rin maintindihan ang ugali ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros and I do not appreciate ano yung sinabi niya. I do not appreciate this kind of behavior and attitude (I also cannot understand the attitude of Sen. Risa Hontiveros and I do not appreciate what she said. I do not appreciate this kind of behavior and attitude),” she said.
She then proceeded to harp on how Hontiveros allegedly sought her help to get votes in Mindanao during the latter’s third senatorial run.
She said Hontiveros was supported by a village councilman at the time.
She also said she even tasked former Davao Rep. Millen Garcia to help Hontiveros get votes.
“At nung nanalo na siya, ano ginawa niya? Siya ang pinaka-unang umatake kay President Rodrigo Duterte. Anong tawag sa ugaling ganito? (And when she won, what did she do?
She was the first one to attack President Rodrigo Duterte. Now, what do you call that kind of attitude?),” she added.
At this point, Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, butted in to cool down the heated exchange.
Poe urged Hontiveros and Duterte to “stick to the budget.”
She said that since Duterte has promised to send senators copies of her book, she might as well give a general view of what it is all about.
To this, Duterte said: “Madam Chair, the explanation is in the title. Isang Kaibigan, it is about friendship.”
Hontiveros said they could have avoided the heated exchange if Duterte answered her question straight.
“So sana kung ganon yung naging sagot simula pa, di ba? Napaka-simple. Simpleng tanong, dapat simpleng sagot. Nagkuwento pa ng kuwento na sinabi dati na walang kinalaman sa tanong ko, and just for the record, as a last point, this is public funds and we’re making inquiries about them. Budget hearing po ito, hindi po lahat about you. Pera po ito ng taumbayan (If only she had answered that way from the start. It’s a very simple question that can be simply answered. But she told a story that is irrelevant to my question, Just for the record, Madam Chair, as a last point, this is public funds and we’re making inquiries about them. This is a budget hearing and not about you. This is the people’s money),” Hontiveros said.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROGRAMS
Aside from the book project, Hontiveros also quizzed Duterte about her office’s proposed P1.909 billion budget for its socio-economic programs, which she said were a duplication of programs of other line agencies.
“I note that a huge chunk of the OVP’s 2025 operations budget, P1.909 billion, will be used for the delivery of socio-economic programs, such as medical and burial assistance programs,” Hontiveros said.
She pointed out that the P771.445 million OVP budget for burial and medical assistance is similar to the Medical Assistance to Indigent or Financially-Incapacitated Patients (MAIF-IP) program of the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).
She said the allotment of P101.644 million for the OVP’s disaster operations is also similar to a program under the DSWD, while the P50 million for assistance to families eligible to the OVP’s “other services,” and P150 million livelihood assistance for those with entrepreneurial skills are also similar to programs of other agencies.
“Ano ang nag-lead sa OVP na mag-consider na i-launch yung ganitong programs? May ginawa bang studies para suportahan yung pagkakaroon ng ganitong programs na parallel naman sa katulad at existing programs ng iba’t-iba nating line agencies, Madam Chair (What led the OVP to launch these programs? Were there studies to support these programs which are parallel to existing programs of various line agencies, Madam Chair?)” she asked.
Since the OVP’s socio-economic programs are duplication of programs of other line agencies, Hontiveros said it is fitting that Duterte’s office refer those who ask help to the proper agencies which offer the same assistance.
Besides, she said, the allocation for the OVP programs can be realigned to other agencies which are in need of more funding to address the limited fiscal space of the government.
Duterte said that helping the needy is among her campaign promises which she is just fulfilling.
“Totoo po na merong ibang local government units at ibang national government agencies na ganito ang kanilang program. Pero nung ako ay umupo as Vice President, I took an oath… I said that I will do justice to every man. So, hindi po kami puwedeng humindi sa mga tao na humihingi ng tulong, lalong lalo na at kaparte ng gobyerno ang Office of the Vice President (It’s true that there are local government units and other national government agencies which have similar programs, but when I assumed as Vice President, I took an oath…I said I will do justice to every man. So, we cannot say no to people asking for help especially since the Office of the Vice President is part of the government),” she said.
She also complained that OVP referrals to other agencies are sometimes rejected.
“Kadalasan po ang sagot sa amin ay ‘hindi puwede dahil galing yan sa Office of the Vice President at kalaban ‘yan. Totoo ‘yan, napo-politika ang assistance para sa ating mga kababayan (Oftentimes the reply that we get is ‘that they cannot [approve the referral] because it came from the Office of the Vice President, which is not an ally of the government. That is true. The assistance for our countrymen is being politicized),” she said.
She added again, this is an “example of politicizing the budget of the government.”
In the end, Duterte said it is up to Congress to decide how much budget to give to her office.
The OVP proposed budget for next year is now deemed submitted for plenary discussions
IMPEACHMENT
In a chance interview after the budget hearing, Duterte told reporters that she has allies at the House of Representatives who told her that some congressman are discussing impeachment moves against her.
She said that congressmen may deny her statement, but her information is very reliable.
“Pinag-uusapan nila kahit i-deny. Pinag-uusapan ng mga members ng House of Representatives kasi meron pa naman akong kaibigan sa loob na hindi nagsasalita dahil takot sila. Sinasabi openly discussed ang impeachment (They are talking about it even if they deny it. The members of the House are talking about it. I still have friends [at the House] who are not openly opposing the discussion because they are afraid. They are telling me that [my] impeachment is openly discussed),” she also said.
She said the impeachment plan is no surprise to her since she parted ways with President Marcos Jr.
She also said that the quad committee hearings are meant to paint the Dutertes as a bad people.
The House has formed a four-committee panel to investigate the links between the operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the illegal drugs trade, and extrajudicial killings to the Duterte government’s bloody war on illegal drugs.
