16 Nobyembre,2024 Sabado
No to Divorce!!!
Get well soon Nanay Angelita Santiago-Lopez
No to SOGIE bill
PM for any hospital discharge problem
Happy Birthday Rosita Belmonte-Jose more birthdays to come
Happy Birthday Jo Ephraim Lopez more birthdays to come
Family of the late Jocelyn “Jo” Lising-Abelgas appreciates every moments shared by friends and relatives in their bereavement
VP Sara to skip another House probe on budget use
By Nidz Godino
“They invited me once, during first hearing… I attended, I sat there but they did not ask me any questions…you can see it in videos, I was just sitting there, my time was wasted…so, I asked if I could leave already and they allowed me… I don’t understand why they invited me but did not even ask me any question,” Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio said despite personally receiving invitation, said she will not attend hearing of House committee on good government and public accountability on Nov. 20 on her alleged misuse of Office of the Vice President (OVP)’s confidential funds.
In chance interview with reporters on sidelines of OVP’s 89th anniversary celebration, Duterte lamented she was not asked any questions by lawmakers when she attended earlier hearing of the committee.
Duterte was referring to the hearing last Sept. 18, wherein she refused to be placed under oath, saying she was not invited as witness but as resource person.
“When you sent letter to Office of the Vice President, you attached copy of rules in aid of legislation…it was stated there in rules that only witnesses shall be placed under oath,” Duterte back then told House panel members.
Last Wednesday, Duterte was served with fresh invitation to attend next hearing when she made surprise appearance at House quad committee hearing on extrajudicial killings committed in connection with war on drugs under administration of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Vice President, nonetheless, maintained that there was no misuse in budgets of OVP and Department of Education (DepEd) when she was still its secretary.
In her interview with reporters, Duterte said she has no plan of attending any more hearings by House committee on good government and public accountability.
“I will no longer attend upcoming hearings…because I already went there before, and they did nothing, they just let me sit there,” Duterte said.
Duterte nonetheless will send to House committee sworn affidavit explaining OVP’s confidential fund spending as well as position paper on some other issues.
“We plan to send letter, we plan to say why we are not attending hearing… and I plan as well to submit affidavit about confidential funds, that affidavit will be under oath, anyway….and for all other issues we plan to tell House committee members what they can do to me,” Duterte said.
OVP had earlier slammed House committee’s probe on its confidential funds expenses, saying audit process by Commission on Audit (COA) is not yet final.
“Office of the Vice President maintains ongoing congressional inquiry by House committee on good government and public accountability is unnecessary and plagued with irregularities in conduct of proceedings,” OVP said in press statement early this month.
For Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega of La Union and Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales, the Vice President was apparently evading responsibility and accountability by refusing to face lawmakers.
“She refused to appear in our inquiry because she does not want to be asked, she is afraid to be questioned…her refusal to appear is part of her strategy to avoid her responsibility and accountability for misuse of public funds,” Ortega said. He also slammed Duterte’s refusal to take oath.
“A person who does not want to accept simple oath to tell the truth, meaning she is not prepared to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, that is why we don’t ask her,” Ortega said.
ISKUP! 