FILE PHOTO: House committee on appropriations chair and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.- Co lambasted Vice President Sara Duterte for her alleged fakery and for trying to divert the issue regarding her office’s expenses in his interpellation during the hearing of his committee on appropriations on the proposed P2.037 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025 on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Photo from Office of Congressman Co
MANILA, Philippines — Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co lambasted Vice President Sara Duterte for her alleged fakery and for trying to divert the issue regarding her office’s expenses.
During his interpellation at Tuesday’s hearing of his committee on appropriations on the proposed P2.037 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025, Co unleashed scathing words against Duterte, who decided to not attend the proceeding.
Co reacted to Duterte’s earlier pronouncements about lawmakers’ questioning of her budget – branding it as political attacks – and accused the chairperson of the House committee on appropriations and Speaker Martin Romualdez of controlling and manipulating national budget allocations.
“Nakita natin lahat ang part one ng video message ni Vice President Sara Duterte kung saan nililihis na naman niya ang mga issue. Talaga pong tatak Duterte ang pangbu-budol. mula sa pekeng war on drugs, pekeng good governance, pekeng pagkontra sa korapsyon at ngayon pekeng sagot sa mga issue,” Co said.
(We all saw part one of Vice President Sara Duterte’s video message where she diverted the issues again. Deception is really a Duterte brand, from the fake war on drugs, fake good governance, fake anti-corruption, and now fake answers to issues.)
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Co likewise belied Duterte’s claim of being a simple person, revealing that her security detail has 400 members and that 100 personnel accompanied her during the August 27 hearing on the OVP’s 2025 budget.
“Nag-i-isa nga siyang humarap sa pagdinig ng committee on appropriations pero sangkaterba naman ang bodyguard sa labas ng conference room humiling pa ng pagkain para sa isang daang gwardya at hindi naman kinain,” noted the House appropriations panel head.
(She appeared alone at the hearing of the committee on appropriations, but had many bodyguards outside the conference room. She also asked for food for 100 guards but they did not eat it.)
“Hindi po ba’t pang-i-insulto at pag-a-aksaya ito ng resources ng gobyerno?” he asked.
(Isn’t this an insult and a waste of government resources?)
READ: OVP secret fund spending ‘a violation twice over’
On Duterte’s assertion that she is not a brat and that lawmakers simply don’t like her answers, Co reiterated that it is Congress’ job to meticulously check budget proposals.
“Ang hindi niya pag-sagot sa maayos na tanong at lalo pa ang hindi niya pag-dalo sa hearing ngayon ay nagpapakita ng kawalang respeto at paggalang sa mga kinatawan ng taong bayan,” he stressed.
(Her failure to answer a proper question and failure to attend today’s hearing shows disrespect for the representatives of the people.)
“Hindi lang po kongresista ang winalanghiya niya dito kungdi ang buong sambayanang Pilipinas,” he added.
(She did not only disrespect congressmen but also the entire people of the Philippines.)
INQUIRER.net sought the OVP’s comment on Co’s remarks but it has yet to reply as of posting time.