OVP urged to prove financial aid beneficiaries are real

VP Sara Duterte composite image from Inquirer stock and House of Representatives of the Philippines photos

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) should prove that the 977,615 beneficiaries of its financial aid are not “ghost beneficiaries,” Manila Second District Rep. Rolando Valeriano said on Tuesday.

In his privilege speech at the lower chamber’s plenary session, Valeriano questioned the proposed budget of the OVP for 2025 and the status of its “ayuda” (aid) programs reportedly limited within the National Capital Region (NCR) from 2023 to 2025.

“Sa kanilang 2025 budget proposal, mayroon silang 977,615 beneficiaries. Nasaan ang patunay nito? Totoong tao ba ang mga ito o ghost beneficiaries? Nasaan ang listahan ng verified beneficiaries? Nasaan ang mga resibo? Nasaan ang mga patunay? Wala,” Valeriano said.

(In their 2025 budget proposal, they have 977,615 beneficiaries. Where is the proof that these beneficiaries are real people, not ghost beneficiaries? Where is the list of the verified beneficiaries? Where are the receipts? None.)

“Sabi ng OVP sa kanilang budget proposal, nagkaroon daw sila ng 793 strategic partnerships noong 2023. Nasaan ang listahan ng strategic partnerships at mga strategic partnership agreements?” he asked.

(In their budget proposal, the OVP said they had 793 strategic partnerships in 2023. Where is the list of strategic partnerships and strategic partnership agreements?)

Without mentioning a name, Valeriano also criticized the attitude of a certain “vice president.”

He pointed out that it is normal for Congress to scrutinize the budget of any government agency and reiterated that the fund allocated for the OVP is not owned by the Vice President.

He also said the Vice President seemed to have “revealed” her attitude and disrespected the 1987 Constitution after evading most questions raised by other House members during the OVP budget hearing last Aug. 27.

During the budget deliberation, Vice President Sara Duterte asked Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo to be replaced as the presider of the House committee on appropriations hearing.

This came after Quimbo told Duterte that ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro had the right to question the utilization of the OVP’s confidential funds for 2022 and 2023.

Duterte’s behavior sparked tensions during the hearing.

“Maling asal kasi iyon. Maling akala ni VP na siya ay hindi maaaring salungatin ng kahit sino. Iyan ang nasaksihan natin sa budget hearing ng Office of the Vice President,” Valeriano said.

(That is bad behavior. The VP is wrong to assume that she cannot be contradicted by anyone. And that is what we witnessed during the budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President.)

“Sa simula pa lang ng kanyang presentasyon, at ayon sa kanyang sinasabi, wala na talaga siyang balak na sumagot sa anumang tanong. Sinayang ng Pangalawang Pangulo ang pagkakataon na ibida sa sambayanang Pilipino ang accomplishments ng Office of the Vice President,” he added.

(Even at the start of her presentation, it’s obvious that she does not want to answer any questions thrown at her. The Vice President wasted the opportunity to show the OVP’s accomplishments to the Filipino people.)

According to Valeriano, the Vice President also missed her chance to identify the beneficiaries of her office’s “socioeconomic programs.”

“Ang nakapagtataka sa kanyang budget ng 2023, 2024, at 2025 ay bakit sa National Capital Region lang nakalaan ang mga ayuda programs niya? Bilang chairman ng House committee on Metro Manila development, nagtataka ako kung saan dito sa Metro Manila napunta ang bilyun-bilyong pondo ng socioeconomic programs ng kanyang opisina,” he said.

(It makes me wonder why in the OVP’s budget for 2023, 2024, and 2025, the financial aid programs were only for NCR. As the chair of the committee on Metro Manila development, I am wondering where the billions of pesos in the allocations for her office’s socioeconomic programs go?)

INQUIRER.net sought the side of the OVP, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.