Castro, Brosas slam VP Sara Duterte for skipping OVP budget hearing

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and Vice President Sara Duterte (FILE) Photos from the House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte “may not like” being questioned about her office’s expenses, but “she is accountable to the people,” Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said on Tuesday.

Brosas aired her sentiments during her interpellation at the House appropriations committee hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after Duterte did not show up and sent an explanation letter instead to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.

“She may not like being questioned about the OVP expenses. She may not like sitting with us here in the House. But Madam Chair, she is accountable to the people, and she has a sworn duty to the Constitution as the head of the agency to be here para ipagtanggol o malaman natin ang budget niya (to defend or so we can be informed about her office’s budget),” the lawmaker said.

READ: VP Sara skips House hearing on 2025 OVP budget, sends letter instead

Castro on VP Duterte: ‘Bratinella to the max’

For ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Duterte’s decision is a “betrayal” to the OVP, and she called the Vice President “bratinella to the max” (spoiled brat) for refusing to be questioned.

“Ibig sabihin nito betrayal of her office. Alam niya na tayo ang nag-approve dahil pinapaubaya niya sa atin ito at hindi manlang niya ide-defend. Ang laki, laki nung budget for socioeconomic program delivery, socioeconomic stakeholder, ang ibig sabihin ba niyan ina-abanduna na niya yung mga pina-plano niyang constituents na binibigyan niya ng programs na ito?” Castro said.

(This means betrayal of her office. She knows we are tasked to approve the budget, but she just left the decision to us without even defending her office’s budget. The proposed budget for socioeconomic program delivery is big. Does it mean that she’s abandoning her constituents who will benefit from this program?)

“Ang problema dito talagang bratinela to the max, no? Na ayaw na nga matanong, umiiwas sa tanong, at ito pa kapag gusto natin tanungin parang di umaattend sa ano,” she added.

(The problem is that she is really a spoiled brat, right? She does not like to be questioned, evades questions, and if she does not like to be questioned, she will not attend the hearing.)

In her letter to Romualdez, Duterte said she already submitted all the necessary documents to the appropriations committee, including a detailed presentation on the proposed budget for 2025.

“I have also articulated my position on the issues outlined in my opening statement during the previous hearing on 27 August 2024. We defer entirely to the discretion and judgment of the Committee regarding our budget proposal for the upcoming year,” Duterte’s letter read.

Earlier, Duterte brushed off being called a brat, saying that such labels against her were part of attacks from political opponents and critics.

Duterte also maintained that she responded to every question thrown at her regarding her office’s 2025 budget proposal, but lawmakers simply did not like her replies.

The OVP is requesting a P2.037-billion allocation for 2025.