VP Sara Duterte — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday told House lawmakers that they may try to “destroy” her, but they will find her “unbowed.”
In her speech during the House committee on good government and public accountability hearing, Duterte also said she would continue to serve the Filipino people “no matter the personal cost or political intrigue.”
The hearing was held to discuss alleged problems in the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budget utilization, as mentioned in the privilege speech of Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano last September 3.
“So you may try to destroy me. You can skin me alive, burn me, and throw my ashes to the wind. But let it be known: You will find me unbowed. I will continue to serve the Filipino people, no matter the personal cost or political intrigue,” Duterte told lawmakers.
“Having said that, I will not allow myself to be subjected to an inquiry based on an empty privilege speech just so you can attack me and indirectly do what you failed to do directly during the budget hearings,” she added.
Duterte then requested the panel to terminate the inquiry for “clear lack of any proposed legislation or substantive matter for discussion.”
The Vice President also addressed her refusal to directly respond to lawmakers’ questions during the deliberations on OVP’s proposed 2025 budget at the House committee on appropriations.
According to Duterte, it was not a form of disrespect as she left it to the House to decide on the OVP’s proposed allocation.
“I have publicly stated my reasons as to why I have chosen not to defend the OVP’s budget proposal for 2025. I have narrated the issues I encountered in previous years which can easily be confirmed by looking at the NEP (National Expenditures Program), the GAB (General Appropriations Bill), and the GAA (General Appropriations Act) for fiscal years 2023 and 2024,” she explained.
“Further, I have even shared the drama that transpired last year regarding the confidential funds (CFs). Hence, just as we have done last year, we again leave the 2025 OVP budget to the pleasure of [Speaker Martin] Romualdez. I am not asking for any special treatment, nor am I asking you to uphold any tradition. There is no disrespect,” she added.
The hearing of the committee stemmed from Valeriano’s questions on the OVP presentation last August 27, particularly the status of its aid programs that were reportedly limited within the National Capital Region from 2023 to 2025.
According to the lawmaker, the OVP has stated in its 2025 budget proposal that there are 977,615 beneficiaries. However, Valeriano said it cannot be ascertained if the beneficiaries are real people and not ghost beneficiaries.
READ: OVP urged to prove financial aid beneficiaries are real
Duterte maintained that the new hearing just aims to discredit her.
“What we are witnessing now is no ordinary legislative inquiry. This exercise is a well-funded and coordinated political attack. This much is evident from the very words of the privilege speech that prompted this inquiry. A speech that simply meant to say, do not vote for Sara in 2028,” the Vice President said.
“It is clear to me that this inquiry is not about misused funds, accountability, or governance, instead it is only aimed at discrediting my name and my office, to prevent future political contests,” she added.
Duterte and the OVP are currently under fire after budget hearings revealed issues with its CFs in 2022 and 2023 and anomalies in the delivery of projects.
The Commission on Audit issued a notice of disallowance on P73.2 million of the OVP’s P125-million CF for 2022 — an item that several lawmakers said should not be available in the first place as the original budget crafted under former Vice President Leni Robredo did not have such.
READ: VP Sara Duterte may be liable for graft – Dalipe