Escudero on OVP budget hearing: Duterte doesn’t want to be questioned

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero (L) and Vice President Sara Duterte (R). | PHOTOS: Senate PRIB and official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s behavior during the House of Representatives hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of her office shows that she is not used to not getting things her way.

This is the observation of Senate President Francis Escudero.

“Hangga’t maaari ayokong panghimasukan ang proseso ng Kamara, but my take on it, dahil pinanood ko kahapon, tila hindi sang-ayon at sanay si Vice President Duterte na tinatanong siya at hindi siya sinang-ayunan,” Escudero said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday when he was asked to comment on the matter.

(As much as possible, I don’t want to meddle with the processes of the House, but my take on this, because I’ve watched it, is that it seems like Vice President Duterte does not want and is not used to when she is being questioned and not agreed with.)

Tensions sparked at the House’s committee on appropriations hearing on Tuesday after Duterte refused to answer several questions, especially regarding the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2022 and 2023.

READ: Duterte refuses to answer OVP budget questions, sparks House tension

Escudero said it was evident that Duterte was not “a friend” to the members of the lower chamber. He was using wordplay in Duterte’s children’s book “Isang Kaibigan” (A Friend), the subject of scrutiny during the Senate committee on finance’s deliberation on the OVP’s 2025 budget last week.

“Maliwanag sa napanood ko kahapon na una: Hindi isang kaibigan si Vice President Sara sa ilang miyembro ng Kamara at sa Kongreso kahapon. Sana magbago ‘yun sa susunod na pagdinig,” he said.

(It is clear based on what I have seen: Vice President Sara was not a friend to some members of the House and Congress yesterday. I hope it changes in the next hearing.)

Being a former congressman, Escudero was asked what he would do if he were in the OVP budget hearing on Tuesday but chose not to comment, citing inter-chamber courtesy between the two houses of Congress.

“[It] dictates that I do not need to deal, interfere, suggest, nor tell them what to do or what not to do,” he said.

The deliberation on the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget was deferred after Duterte evaded many questions raised by lawmakers.

READ: OVP budget deferred after Duterte evades questions at House hearing