Senate President Francis Escudero and Vice President Sara Duterte. | PHOTOS: Senate PRIB and official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros has the right to ask questions about the budget of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, Senate President Francis Escudero said on Wednesday.
Hontiveros and Duterte had a heated exchange on Tuesday during the Senate subcommittee on finance hearing on the proposed P2.037-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025.
“May karapatan si Senator Risa na tanungin ‘yung mga tanong na pinukol niya kay Vice President Sara, at marapat na dapat lamang sagutin ‘yan [ng] sinumang head of agency na humaharap sa Senado at [Kamara] kaugnay ng kanilang panukalang budget,” Escudero said in an ambush interview in Pasay City.
(Senator Risa has the right to ask the questions she asked Vice President Sara, and any head of agency who faces the Senate and the House of Representatives should answer questions about their proposed budget.)
READ: ‘Hindi kasi ako plastic,’ VP Duterte says after clashing with Hontiveros
Escudero also said he was “saddened” by the verbal tussle between Duterte and Hontiveros, and he lauded Senator Grace Poe for “handling” it properly.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Duterte accused Hontiveros of “politicizing” the budget of the government after the senator asked about the P10-million budget proposal for the distribution of a children’s book authored by Duterte.
Duterte also said Hontiveros repeatedly asked for her help for the latter’s senatorial bid in 2016.
READ: Duterte, Hontiveros clash over ‘politicizing’ budget hearings
Poe then interjected, reminding both Duterte and Hontiveros to stick to the topic, which was the OVP’s proposed budget.
Escudero said the issues of Hontiveros and Duterte are only between the two of them.
“Personal na sa kanila ‘yun. Sa parte ko, hindi ko naman kasi ugali talaga na maningil ng kung ano mang utang o pa-utang na loob ng nagdaang panahon. Marahil sa ibang tao ay okay ‘yun,” he said.
(That is personal to both of them. On my part, it’s not my attitude to demand payment for any debts or debt of gratitude during bygone days. Well, maybe for others, that’s okay.)