VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday refused to identify allies who informed her that there is an impending move at the House of Representatives to impeach her, but said they have recordings to prove it.
“Bilang isang kaibigan (As a friend), I will not violate the confidence of a few members of the House of Representatives who have either recorded conversations or participated in shared conversations regarding impeachment proceedings against me. Nonetheless, this is nothing new,” she said in her opening statement during the hearing of the House committee on appropriations on the Office of the Vice President’s P2.037-billion proposed budget for 2025.
Known Duterte allies are former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Duterte said impeachment talks have been going on for months now, adding a lawmaker even said in an interview that impeachment complaint could be over the OVP’s use of P125 million in confidential funds in 2022.
The Vice President was obviously referring to Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT), a member of the militant Makabayan bloc and one of her staunchest critics at the Lower House.
Surprisingly, the Vice President said that despite the absence of proof of any wrongdoing, “she (Castro) has already revealed the grounds for impeachment when she was also quoted (as) saying, `especially on the misuse of public funds and technical malversation and violating the 1987 Constitution.’”
The Vice President has said the impeachment plan is no surprise as she has parted ways with President Marcos Jr., adding the joint hearings of the four House committees are meant to paint the Dutertes as a bad people.
AUDIT REPORT
The Commission on Audit (COA) has already furnished the appropriations panel of its audit report on the OVP’s use of confidential funds, including the notice of disallowance it issued on the OVP’s P73.2 million expenditure which is part of the P125 million confidential funds.
The disallowance notice was issued following the OVP’s “non-submission of documents evidencing the success of information-gathering and/or surveillance activities to support acknowledgment receipts for payments of rewards in cash, various goods and medicines.”
COA said the amount, which is part of the P73.2 million, totaled P69.7 million: P10 million for reward payments, P34.8 million for payments of rewards through various goods, and P24.9 million for the payment of rewards through medicines.
The rest of the P73.2 million (P3.5 million), covered payments for tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers “without specifying that they were intended for the confidential operations/activities undertaken by the OVP,” which COA said is non-compliant with the requirements.
BURIAL ASSISTANCE
Duterte continued to defend the medical and burial assistance programs of the OVP after Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier said it could be a duplication of the programs of other agencies, especially the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Vice President said these have always been continuing projects of her office while the legacy projects that she envisions, which include a permanent office for future Vice Presidents, a Vice Presidential Museum, and a charter for the OVP “may never come to fruition given the political climate surrounding the institution.”
She also raised the issue of politics in use of the national budget and release of financial assistance, saying her ally Sen. Imee Marcos was correct when she said during a Senate budget hearing that the problem does not only happen in the barangay level because it also happens in the release of financial assistance of senators and the Vice President.
The Vice President also defended the inclusion of her name and image on the children’s book she authored entitle “Isang Kaibigan,” saying it is “a common practice for authors and is not intended as a political move.”
“More importantly, the projected recipients of the book are elementary students and Grade 7 learners. This belies any insinuation of political motives as they will not even be eligible to vote come 2028,” she said.
