Hontiveros eyes realigning VP Duterte’s P10M budget for children’s book

HARDLY ON SAME PAGE Questions regarding a storybook written by Vice President Sara Duterte lead to a verbal tussle between her and Sen. Risa Hontiveros during the budget hearing on Aug. 20, 2024. Things got testy after Duterte refused to directly answer why P10 million must be spent to distribute “Isang Kaibigan” (A Friend), its cover and the author’s page shown in the insets. SENATE SOCIAL MEDIA UNIT/CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she wants to realign the budget for the “duplicating” items in the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed funding for 2025, including the “improper” P10-million allocation for the distribution of Vice President Sara Duterte’s children’s book.

“At the proper time, sa period of amendments, magpo-propose po ako ng amendment dun sa items ng program sa OVP na katulad lamang doon sa mga programa ng mga line agencies natin, including Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),” Hontiveros said at the Kapihan sa Senado forum.

(At the proper time, in the period of amendments, I will propose an amendment to items under the OVP’s programs that are similar to the programs of other line agencies, including the DSWD, DOH, and DOLE.)

Hontiveros would also seek amendments to the controversial allocation for the distribution of Duterte’s children’s book “Isang Kaibigan.”

“Yung item ng P10 million para sa pagmumudmod ng mga kopya ng Isang Kaibigan ay papasukan ko rin po ng amendment. Yun naman ang purpose ng interpellation sa hearing eh, para i-explore,” she told reporters.

(I would also insert amendments to the P10-million item that would be used to distribute copies of Isang Kaibigan. That’s the purpose of interpellation in a hearing, to explore.)

The opposition senator pointed out the country’s “tight fiscal space,” saying that departments always have insufficient funding, especially for social protection programs, those related to medical and burial services, disaster resilience, work and occupation, and other items.

Hontiveros said the P10-million budget for the distribution of copies of Duterte’s children’s book is “improper” in principle.

“Request yan. Dahil kung meron kang sinulat na libro, kung ikaw ang sumulat niyan, hindi dapat gamitan ng government funds at taxpayers money para ipamudmod,” she added.

(That’s a request. Because if you wrote a book, if you are the one who wrote it, government funds and taxpayers’ money should not be used to distribute it.)

Hontiveros and Duterte had a heated exchange during the Senate panel on finance’s deliberation on the OVP’s proposed budget for 2025.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Duterte accused Hontiveros of politicizing the government funds after the lawmaker raised a few queries regarding the Vice President’s proposed funding, including the allocation for Duterte’s children’s book.

READ: Duterte, Hontiveros clash over ‘politicizing’ budget hearings