MANILA, Philippines – In a heated exchange during a budget hearing on Tuesday, August 20, Vice President Sara Duterte got defensive when Senator Risa Hontiveros asked her about the content of the Isang Kaibigan (A Friend) book, which was allocated P10 million under the 2025 proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President.
The book was authored by the Vice President herself.
Instead of responding to the question, she accused Hontiveros of politicizing the budget hearing because the book, she said, had her name in it.
“Madame chair, this is an example of politicizing the budget hearing through the questions of a senator,” Duterte said.
Hontiveros replied by saying: “Hindi ko maintindihan ang ugali ng ating resource person. It is a simple question. Paulit-ulit na, ‘This is politicizing.’ Ang VP ang nagbanggit ng salitang ‘boboto,’ wala akong sinabing ‘boboto.’“
(I don’t understand the behavior of our resource person. It’s a simple question. She has been repeatedly saying, “This is politicizing.” The VP was the one who mentioned the word ‘vote,’ I didn’t say “vote.”)
When Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Senate finance committee, asked the same question to the Vice President, she got a direct answer.
“The explanation is in the title, Isang Kaibigan. It’s about friendship,” Duterte said.
Poe later terminated the budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President and moved to recommend it for plenary discussion. The OVP is seeking a P2.037-billion budget for 2025, which was 8.05% higher than the current appropriation of P1.885 billion.
Rappler’s Bonz Magsambol gives a recap of the highlights of the budget hearing. – Rappler.com
