INDICATION OF THE TRUTH

September 7, 2024 Opinion

The House Committee on Appropriations has decided to defer action on the proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) opting instead to continue deliberations on the matter. This came about after the Vice President herself Sara Duterte declined to answer queries from the lawmakers stating among others during her opening speech the following: “I would like to forgo the opportunity to defend the budget in the question-and answer format.

I would leave it to the House to decide on the budget submitted”. In other words, the Vice President is no longer inclined to explain and defend the proposed budget of her office and will leave it to the members of Congress to decide whether to approve the 2025 budget of the OVP or not. With this deliberate act of omission, for that is what she did, the Vice President exposed herself to criticisms and allegations of non transparency with respect to how the OVP manages its budget.

Her reluctance to provide insights on how the peoples’ money allotted for her use was spent already reveals her lack of understanding, whether deliberate or not, of what budget accountability is all about. For those not yet aware on what exactly budget accountability is all about it is the “process of ensuring that the budget of a business is aligned with its goals, strategies, and values. It involves assigning clear roles and responsibilities to the people who are involved in planning, executing, and monitoring the budget, as well as enforcing consequences for those who fail to meet the budget expectations.

Budget accountability is crucial for any business or that wants to achieve financial success, avoid overspending, and optimize its resources”. (fastercapital.com) Similar to how a successful business is run the government and its instrumentalities, to include its public officials, elected or appointed, have a responsibility to see to it that its resources are managed effectively and spent wisely. That is also the point of having budget deliberations in the legislature in order to determine whether the peoples money have been properly utilized, and this can be done more effectively thru a question-and-answer format where the one asking for a budget can successfully justify its requests for funds.

The Vice President in declining to participate in the budget deliberations for her proposed budget for this year 2025 is actually telling the peoples’ representatives that her accountability with respect to the budget of her office is not to be scrutinized and that she answers to no one but herself and her vested interests. On the other side of the coin, we also have to look a little bit deeper into the undercurrent of all the controversies surrounding the Vice President and her family especially her father, the former president of the country.

This is because this is not the first time that Vice President Sara has opted to remain silent on critical matters even as we know that she is the second highest elected public official of the country responsible and answerable to the millions of Filipinos. In fact, if we consider it enough, we might discover that the second time she became mum on an issue might be the more important and probably more relevant matter in relation to her position as an elected public official.

To recall, when asked about her thoughts and position about the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) she declined to give her stand and position on the matter and instead pointed out that it is not her role to speak about it adding that it is the responsibility of other offices in the government to take action on these issues. Did she not consider that her position on the issue is important to the public considering that at this time China is now escalating its presence in the WPS.

Should she not at least come out with a statement regarding the actions of China? Or does her refusal to answer an indication of the truth that somehow she shares the same position with that of her father who is already known to be cozy with China. The problem also with such a statement is that it simply shows her indifference and apparent unconcern towards the present foreign policy and attitude of the administration of President Bongbong Marcos in trying to protect and preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Philippine Republic. If the Vice President of this country cannot share the sentiment of a majority of Filipinos – that of not bowing down or giving in to the intimidation, harassment and other gray zone tactics being done by China in the WPS then she no longer has any business being the second highest leader of the land.