Solons want apology from VP Duterte over Calaguas beach trip lie

MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives’ Majority bloc have asked Vice President Sara Duterte to apologize for claiming that her beach vacation in Camarines Norte last Monday was fake, as police reports cite otherwise.

In a statement on Wednesday, La Union Rep. 1st District Paolo Ortega and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun, the House Assistant Majority leaders, said that the proper course of action, when caught lying red-handed, is to apologize.

“When you’re caught in a lie, the best course of action is to apologize, not to make excuses,” Khonghun said. “This is about integrity. If she cannot be honest about something as simple as her whereabouts, how can we trust her on more important matters?”

“The Vice President owes the Filipino people an explanation and an apology. This is not the kind of leadership we deserve – where the truth is hidden and lies are told to cover it up,” Ortega said.  “Ang pagiging bise presidente ay hindi lang tungkol sa posisyon; ito ay tungkol sa integridad at tiwala. This dishonesty tarnishes the office she holds.”

Last Monday, there were news reports circulating that Duterte — whose Office of the Vice President (OVP) was scheduled to appear at the House for the plenary debates on their proposed budget — was at a beach on Camarines Norte’s Calaguas Islands.

The OVP denied these reports, saying they were just part of efforts to “besmirch” Duterte.

“The public is cautioned about the attempts of some media outlets to once again besmirch the reputation of the Vice President by publishing stories that she is on the beach while the House of Representatives is conducting the plenary deliberations on the budget,” said the OVP.

READ: OVP denies VP Sara on beach trip after missing House debates

However, the same news agency claimed that police reports indicated that Duterte was still at the Calaguas beach on Monday, moments before she or any authorized OVP representative was supposed to assist the budget sponsor and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

The Makabayan bloc also got hold of these reports from the Police Regional Office 5, which stated that Duterte and her party left Calaguas Island at 6:28 a.m. on Monday.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said Duterte should explain her alleged misleading of the public about her beach visit while the House was set to discuss her office’s proposed 2025 budget.

“The truth has a way of coming to light,” Castro said.  “It is alarming that the Vice President chooses to dismiss verified reports as fake news when there is clear documentation of her whereabouts.

“While public officials have the right to personal time, it is unacceptable to do so during important budget deliberations, especially when denying the trip outright. It is crucial for public servants to be transparent and accountable in their actions.  The Vice President’s office must address this issue and provide a clear explanation to the Filipino people,” she added.

Ortega and Khonghun meanwhile said Duterte should set the bar higher for public service as she is the second-highest elected official, not lower it.

“If we allow our leaders to get away with lying, what message does that send to the rest of the government and to the public?” Ortega asked.

“The Vice President should set the bar for public service, not lower it,” Khonghun added.

Absences

Earlier, Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza made a motion to include discussions on OVP’s budget at the plenary debates scheduled for September 25, Wednesday.

Daza said this will ensure that Duterte’s office is given another opportunity to be present — after skipping Monday and Tuesday’s plenary debates.

The OVP on Monday sent an officer to aid budget sponsor Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong during the interpellations, but the officer did not carry a letter of authorization with him.

The same officer did not return even as the House waited until 3:00 a.m. of Tuesday.

READ: As OVP skips plenary debates anew, House again reschedules talks

Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan confirmed on Monday that the House was scheduled to deliberate the OVP proposed budget at 10:00 a.m., but the absence of an authorized representative forced the chamber to ask other agencies to go first.

This is not the first time that Duterte skipped hearings on her office’s proposed budget.  Last September 10, at the second round of talks at the House Committee on Appropriations hearings, neither Duterte nor any member of the OVP showed up to respond to questions.

These absences — coupled with Duterte’s refusal to directly answer questions regarding her office’s past budget utilization — prompted Rep. Raoul Manuel to call the Vice President’s actions a betrayal of public trust.

The OVP was originally allocated a P2.037 billion budget under the National Expenditures Program (NEP), but lawmakers from the House proposed to cut this down to just P733 million due to Duterte’s behavior and revelations that some OVP programs suffered from low budget utilization.

During the budget deliberations, it was also revealed that some OVP programs suffered from low utilization, like in the case of Magnegosyo Ta Day, where only 0.04 percent of funds as of December 2023 — P600,000 out of P150 million — were used.

READ: OVP hit for using only 0.4% of its Magnegosyo Ta Day funds