Hontiveros expects Sara Duterte to attend OVP budget deliberations

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Sunday said she expects Vice President Sara Duterte to attend the budget deliberations of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) just like the heads of other government agencies do.

“I expect her to appear, that was explicitly mentioned by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian during the committee hearing of the OVP budget. We expect heads of agencies to be present during committee hearings up to the plenary,” Hontiveros said in an interview on radio dzBB.

“When they’re absent, we take note of that and we tell them we expect them at least during the plenary. I also said that to other attached agencies of the [Department of Social Welfare and Development] during our budget hearing recently. VP Duterte is not being singled out,” she added.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Sara Duterte snubs Senate hearing on OVP budget

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

Last Oct. 20, the Senate Finance Subcommittee, citing parliamentary courtesy, swiftly approved on committee level the OVP’s proposed budget amounting to P785.2 million.

Duterte was a no-show at the budget briefing, but she was represented by her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, who said that the vice president was representing his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, at the inurnment of a long-serving city planner in Davao City.

In response, Gatchalian said he hoped to see Duterte once the OVP’s budget is being debated upon in session, saying agency heads are normally expected to defend their own funding requests.

If Duterte decides not to attend, Hontiveros said, “I’m sure we will take note of that because that is not the proper conduct of any head of agency even if, or especially if, it’s the VP.”

Article continues after this advertisement

The senator explained that since Congress holds the power of the purse, it also has the privilege and the obligation to scrutinize the proposed budget of government agencies because these funds come from taxpayers’ money.

Hontiveros said she also sees no conflict with Duterte’s attendance at the OVP budget deliberations and the Senate impeachment court’s subjudice rule, saying the trial is a separate legislative proceedings from the budget-making process. /ms