PRWC
The Makabayan Bloc once again condemned Vice President Sara Duterte for her obstinacy and use of squid tactics during the hearing at the House of Representatives yesterday, September 18. The hearing focused on Duterte’s spending and embezzlement of the vice president’s office fund in the past year.
Duterte refused to take oath during the hearing. As in the past, she did not answer questions and abruptly left the hearing. For the ACT Teachers Party-list, Duterte’s actions, along with her absence from recent hearings and avoidance, is a betrayal of the public trust given to her office and a clear abdication of her responsibility to the Filipino people.
“It is disappointing and unacceptable that VP Duterte chose to again resort to squid tactics rather than face the questions head-on, particularly on the issue of confidential funds,” the ACT Teachers Party-list representative and Koalisyong Makabakayan senatorial candidate Teacher France Castro said.
Rep. Castro emphasized that Duterte’s absence and refusal to explain the ₱125 million confidential funds in 2022 only intensify the suspicions and frustration of the Filipino people.
This also disappointed the Kabataan Partylist. “Sara Duterte only delivers walk-outs, absence, or non-answers to the questions of the people regarding her spending on confidential funds,” Renee Co, Kabataan Partylist vice president, said.
Having this, Rep. Castro again called to scrap confidential funds from all agencies to avoid corruption and abuse. “Both Duterte and Marcos, who have the largest share of confidential funds in the budget, refuse to explain where these funds go,” the lawmaker said.
