VP sa House hearing - paghahanda sa impeachment ang ginagawang imbestigasyon; iginiit... | 24 Oras

GMA Integrated News

18 Sept 202408:27

Summary

TLDRVice President Sara Duterte appeared before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, addressing accusations of misuse of the Office of the Vice President's budget. While refusing to take an oath, she denied any wrongdoing and stated the investigation was politically motivated, aiming to discredit her ahead of the 2028 elections. The session saw heated exchanges between lawmakers, particularly over the classification of witnesses versus resource persons. Duterte further noted that her relationship with President Bongbong Marcos was strictly professional, and denied any plans to run with the Marcos family again.

Takeaways

🗣️ Vice President Sara Duterte appeared before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability but did not take an oath.
🕵️‍♂️ The hearing was related to the budget spending of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), which was triggered by a privilege speech from Manila Representative Rolando Valeriano regarding alleged misuse of funds.
⚖️ There was a debate over the distinction between a 'witness' and a 'resource person' during the hearing, with Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo highlighting the differences as outlined by the Supreme Court.
🚫 VP Duterte argued that the inquiry was a politically motivated attack aimed at discrediting her name and office, and potentially setting up for an impeachment case.
📉 The House Appropriations Committee previously recommended a significant reduction in the OVP budget for 2025, citing concerns over the use of confidential funds in 2022.
🛡️ VP Duterte defended the OVP’s actions, stating there was no misuse of funds and that they were prepared to address any audit findings or legal cases in court.
🔍 VP Duterte suggested that the legislative inquiry was not genuinely about accountability or governance but rather an attempt to prevent her from future political contests.
🗨️ The VP also responded to Speaker Martin Romualdez's remarks on hypocrisy and evasion by officials regarding the budget issue.
❌ VP Duterte ruled out the possibility of running as a team with the Marcos family again in future elections, stating they were not friends and had no communication since her resignation from the Department of Education.
🗣️ There were heated exchanges between representatives during the hearing, notably between Representative Rodante Marcoleta and Manila Representative Benny Abante, regarding the VP's presence and the proposed OVP budget.

Q & A

Why did Vice President Sara Duterte appear before the House committee?
-Vice President Sara Duterte appeared before the House committee to address questions related to the budget spending of her office. The inquiry was initiated following a privilege speech by Manila Representative Rolando Valeriano, who questioned the alleged misuse of funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Did Vice President Duterte take an oath during the hearing?
-No, Vice President Duterte refused to take an oath during the hearing, citing that the House rules apply to witnesses, but she was appearing as a resource person. Despite this, the committee respected her decision.
What is the difference between a 'witness' and a 'resource person' as highlighted during the hearing?
-Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pointed out that the Supreme Court has ruled that a 'witness' and a 'resource person' are not the same, with witnesses subject to different protections. Vice President Duterte was classified as a resource person in the hearing.
What was Vice President Duterte's response to allegations of fund misuse?
-Vice President Duterte denied any wrongdoing, asserting that no funds had been wasted and that her office was prepared to answer any audit findings or face any legal cases in court. She claimed the inquiry was politically motivated.
What political context did Vice President Duterte suggest was behind the inquiry?
-Vice President Duterte suggested that the inquiry was a coordinated political attack aimed at discrediting her and her office to prevent her from participating in future political contests, specifically the 2028 elections.
What did Vice President Duterte say about her relationship with President Bongbong Marcos?
-Vice President Duterte stated that she and President Marcos are not friends, and they only knew each other because they were running mates in the 2022 election. She also mentioned that they have not spoken since she resigned as Secretary of the Department of Education.
How did Vice President Duterte react to the possibility of being teammates with the Marcoses again?
-When asked if she would consider teaming up with the Marcoses again in the future, Vice President Duterte firmly responded 'never.'
What was the nature of the discussion between Representatives Marcoleta and Abante during the hearing?
-Representatives Rodante Marcoleta and Benny Abante had a heated exchange during the hearing. Marcoleta defended Vice President Duterte, arguing that the notice of disallowance regarding the OVP budget was contestable and could be answered within six months. Abante questioned Marcoleta's remarks, but Marcoleta clarified that he was not rebuking the committee.
What stance did Vice President Duterte take regarding future appearances before the committee?
-Vice President Duterte stated that she was unsure if she would attend future committee hearings. Her attendance would depend on the actions of the committee moving forward.
What was the response of the House appropriations committee regarding the OVP budget for 2025?
-The House appropriations committee recommended cutting the OVP budget for 2025 by over PHP 1 billion. Vice President Duterte responded by saying that Congress had the freedom to allocate the OVP budget as they saw fit.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Vice President Sara Duterte Faces Budget Inquiry

Vice President Sara Duterte attended a House committee hearing about the spending of her office's budget. She refused to take an oath, citing the rule that only witnesses are required to swear in. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pointed out a Supreme Court ruling that differentiates between witnesses and resource persons, supporting Duterte's decision. Duterte emphasized that the inquiry was politically motivated and aimed at discrediting her ahead of potential future elections. She also mentioned that her office is ready to respond to any audit findings or court cases that may arise.

05:03

💼 VP Duterte Responds to Impeachment Speculations

In an ambush interview, Vice President Duterte highlighted that representatives were practicing for a possible impeachment case against her. Despite this, she maintained that she is focused on her job and has no knowledge of any impeachment efforts. She also reacted to Speaker Martin Romualdez's statement about hypocrisy and evasion, reiterating that the current investigation seems to align with the accusations made in a recent speech. Duterte also clarified that she is not close friends with President Marcos and does not plan to run as his teammate in the future.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Vice President Sara Duterte

Sara Duterte is the Vice President of the Philippines and a central figure in the video. She is involved in a legislative inquiry regarding the use of her office's budget. The video highlights her refusal to take an oath during the hearing and her claim that the investigation is politically motivated.

💡Legislative Inquiry

A legislative inquiry is a process where lawmakers investigate government actions or spending. In this video, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is holding an inquiry to examine the alleged misuse of funds by the Office of the Vice President. Sara Duterte suggests this inquiry is politically motivated and is intended to discredit her ahead of future elections.

💡Impeachment

Impeachment refers to the process of charging a government official with misconduct. In the video, Sara Duterte asserts that the legislative inquiry is a prelude to an impeachment case against her. She claims that the investigation is politically driven to undermine her potential candidacy in future elections, specifically targeting her for political reasons.

💡Confidential Funds

Confidential funds refer to budget allocations that are not publicly disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the expenses. The video mentions that lawmakers questioned Sara Duterte about her office's use of confidential funds in 2022, which sparked debate during the budget hearing. This issue is part of the broader controversy surrounding the budget usage.

💡Privilege Speech

A privilege speech is a speech delivered by a lawmaker in a legislative body, typically addressing concerns or criticisms. In this case, the video references a privilege speech made by Manila Representative Rolando Valeriano, which accused the Vice President's office of budget mismanagement and set the stage for the legislative inquiry. Sara Duterte views this speech as a political attack against her.

💡Resource Person

A resource person in a legislative inquiry provides expert testimony or relevant information. In the video, there is a discussion about whether Sara Duterte should be treated as a witness or a resource person. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo highlights the legal distinction between witnesses and resource persons, with the latter not necessarily being subject to the same obligations.

💡Commission on Audit

The Commission on Audit (COA) is a government agency responsible for auditing and ensuring the proper use of public funds. The video mentions that representatives from the COA were present at the legislative inquiry, and the investigation into the Office of the Vice President's budget includes questions about COA's audit findings.

💡Political Attack

A political attack refers to actions or rhetoric aimed at discrediting or undermining a political figure. In the video, Sara Duterte argues that the legislative inquiry is not about accountability or governance but a well-coordinated political attack designed to damage her reputation ahead of future elections. She views this as a tactic to prevent her from running for office in 2028.

💡Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the Philippines. In the video, former President Arroyo refers to a previous Supreme Court ruling to argue that witnesses and resource persons in legislative inquiries should be treated differently. This legal distinction becomes a point of contention during the hearing as it relates to Sara Duterte’s role.

💡Budget Hearing

A budget hearing is a formal meeting where lawmakers review and scrutinize government budgets. The video centers around a budget hearing involving Sara Duterte and her office’s budget for 2025. Lawmakers question her about potential misuse of funds, and there is discussion about reducing her office's budget by over a billion pesos.

Highlights

Vice President Sara Duterte faced the House committee on Good Government and Public Accountability regarding the budget usage of her office.

Duterte claimed that the hearing was preparation for a possible impeachment case against her.

She emphasized that the inquiry was not about accountability or governance but a political attack aimed at discrediting her.

Duterte refused to take an oath as a witness, arguing that the rules did not require her to do so as a resource person.

Former President and Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo highlighted the difference between witnesses and resource persons based on a Supreme Court decision.

Despite Duterte's refusal to take an oath, other resource persons from the Department of Budget and Management and the Commission on Audit were sworn in.

Duterte denied any misuse of funds, asserting that her office was ready to address any audit findings.

She argued that the legislative inquiry was a politically motivated effort to prevent her from future political contests, specifically the 2028 elections.

The House appropriations panel had previously recommended cutting over PHP 1 billion from the OVP's budget for 2025.

Duterte stated that she would not allow herself to be subjected to an inquiry based on a privilege speech aimed at attacking her.

The vice president excused herself from the hearing after stating that the inquiry was an empty political attack.

In an ambush interview, Duterte reiterated that the inquiry was a practice for a potential impeachment case against her.

She clarified that she had no knowledge of any imminent impeachment case but was focused on doing her job.

Duterte mentioned that she had not spoken to President Bongbong Marcos since stepping down as Secretary of Education.

Duterte stated that she was never close friends with President Marcos and would never run as his teammate again.