Squid tactics? Castro scores VP Sara for deflecting secret fund issue

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro. Photo from House of Representative FB Page

MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro has likened Vice President Sara Duterte to a squid who releases ink when under pressure — as the country’s second-highest official supposedly deflected questions related to her office’s use of confidential funds (CFs).

During the hearing of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations on Tuesday, Duterte refrained from directly answering questions about the CF utilization — repeatedly saying that she forgoes the opportunity to defend the budget in a question-and-answer format or by insisting that they have already coordinated with the Commission on Audit regarding the notice of disallowance.

But Castro believes this is a mere attempt to escape questions about budget utilization.

“Yes Madam Chair, so mukhang di na tayo sasagutin, di na ako sasagutin ng ating Vice President, so sa bawat sagot kasi na ganyan ng ating Vice President, for the record, since ayaw magpaliwanag ang VP, ibig sabihin nito ‘yong paggastos ng P125 million na pera ng taumbayan ay hindi mapaliwanag,” Castro said.

(Yes Madam Chair, so it seems we would not get answers, it appears the Vice President would not answer me, for the record, since the VP does not want to explain, it seems the expenditure of the P125 million worth of public funds cannot be explained.)

“Hindi pwede ‘yong ganyan na ‘yong tactics na ganyan ‘no?  Na parang, sorry for the pusit, na kapag nasusukol na ang pusit ay nag-aano ng maitim na tinta.  So ayaw natin ng gano’n Madam Chair, kasi ‘yong ating namang pinag-uusapan dito ay budget.  So ‘wag naman mag-ugaling pusit ang Office of the Vice President,” she added.

(That kind of tactic cannot be allowed.  It’s like, sorry for the squid, but when they are cornered, they would release a black ink.  So we do not want that, because what we are talking about here is our budget.  So I hope the Office of the Vice President does not act like a squid,” she added.

Castro’s “squid” remarks came after Duterte brought up the lawmaker’s recent conviction for child abuse, in connection to her alleged rescue of Lumad children in Talaingod town, Davao del Norte.

In response, Duterte asked why Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo — senior vice chair of the appropriations panel who presided over the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget deliberations — seemed to allow lawmakers to make snide comments against her, while preventing her from making factual statements about Castro’s conviction.

“So if you allow members of the House of Representatives, lines like what you just said, like pusit, why are you crucifying me for saying a fact that somebody is convicted of child abuse, sitting in the chair?  Pusit, and I cannot fire the presiding chair, so why is this hearing too one-sided Ma’am?  Is it because many of you are there and I am alone here?” Duterte asked.

“We note all your comments Ma’am and let us now proceed,” Quimbo replied.

Eventually, majority of the panel’s members voted in favor of a motion from Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas to strike off the record statements about Castor’s conviction.

However, a motion to strike Castro’s “squid” comments off the record was overruled.

Tensions at the hearing flared after Duterte refused to answer several questions, leading Quimbo to note that it is important for the Vice President to address concerns over her past budgets as it would have an influence on the proposed 2025 allocations.

Duterte eventually asked that Quimbo be replaced as the latter allowed questions that were no longer related to the discussions — as the hearing should be focused on the proposed 2025 national budget.

READ: SC asked to compel return of VP Sara Duterte’s 2022 secret funds

Quimbo, however, reminded Duterte that removing a presiding officer of a Congressional hearing is not within the Vice President’s power.

When former president and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab manifested that Duterte should not be made to answer topics that are not related to the budget deliberations, Quimbo noted that it has been established that past budgets are related to the 2025 proposed allocation.

According to Quimbo, Duterte can answer the questions by saying that she does not want to answer the questions.

OVP is not getting any CF for 2025, as the Department of Budget and Management decided to adopt Congress’ policy where civilian agencies with no surveillance mandate are no longer given CF allocations.

But in 2023, the CF of OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) — an office previously under Duterte — went through scrutiny after it was revealed that OVP had a P125 million CF for 2022 even if the original budget did not have these items.

READ: How House removed, reduced the confidential funds of gov’t agencies 

As a result, the House removed the P500 million CF request of the OVP and realigned it to agencies securing the West Philippine Sea.  Meanwhile, the P150 million CF request of the DepEd was converted into an item under maintenance and other operating expenses.