On Sept. 18, 2024, Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio materialized at a budget hearing at the House of Representatives after boycotting a previous session along with officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), only to address the lawmakers straight to their faces that the panel’s proceedings were intended to undermine her and hasten her impeachment.
Strange as it seems, Sara’s tirade is premised on her fact-free assertion that Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Ako Bikol Rep. Elizaldy Co were behind the move to impeach her. This prompted Co to scold her for avoiding scrutiny of her hugger-mugger financial management at the OVP, her rare presence at the Department of Education (DepEd) and her being “waldas” and “lakwatsa” despite holding office at both OVP and DepEd. Being a wastrel and an absentee bureaucrat are the worst tags that top officials do not want to hear. Manila Rep. Rodolfo Valeriano also delivered a privilege speech to assert that Congress has the “power of the purse.”
So, what gives? Perhaps Sara thought that slamming lawmakers at their castle was the proper way to explain her precedent-setting absence during a budget hearing for the OVP. Telling them that she was loath to answer any inquiry shows not only disrespect for the legislators but also proves she would not countenance any criticism for the disallowances, suspensions and charges leveled at OVP by the Commission on Audit (COA), which is an independent body. Her latest action provides proof that she wants to litigate her issues outside of Congress. Why is she so scared to answer questions about her sins of omission and commissions on the budget? The Dutertes simply do not want to be grilled, placed on the dock, and made to answer for their misdeeds. Sara cannot blame others for her mistakes. She has no franchise on truth and certainly no “carte blanche” to spend billions down the drain.
By being present during the panel hearing, she gave the impression that she was prepared to finally make the case for the bloated P2.037 budget proposal for next year. Yet, she took the floor only to rage against Congress and fabricated conspiracy to malign her. Her responses during the previous hearing certainly caused millions to drop whatever undeserved respect they had for Sara. Snarky replies, insults against congresswomen she wanted out of the hearing and a demand that the presiding officer be replaced show that she doesn’t understand parliamentary decorum. This being the case, someone has to find a shrink to determine what exactly is in Sara’s mind. Being batty and bratty at the same time means a deeper, darker syndrome is at work.
Sara heads the OVP and as head of the office, it is her sworn duty to defend her proposed 2025 budget. Yet she wouldn’t take her oath and advanced the theory that she is being maligned by a Congress panel tasked with the duty of assessing the capability of Sara’s office to handle a huge budget without the committing past mistakes, like the P12.3 billion disallowed disbursements at the DepEd and the P221.424 million spent by the OVP in the dying days of 2022. What is the use of being present during a budget hearing when you would not testify? The people do not need to hear her read her statement via messaging.
When she read her statement sent through cellular phone, it was clear as day that she would not wish to swim through the muddled documents found and audited by the COA, and she would not dignify the questions posed by lawmakers whom she tagged as her inquisitors. Since she was not willing to be grilled by lesser mortals, and thus would not provide any information to the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, the committee had no use for her. She can take a French leave for they all care, but not after huddling with allies like former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, both of whom dabbled with technicalities to explain why Sara deserves to be excused.
In a rather comedic turn, Sara asserted in her speech dictated by messenger that her office has not engaged in any misconduct, including the misappropriation of funds, and that the House panel can wait for six months before COA could receive the documents from the OVP. Since the notices of disallowances, suspensions and charges were sent out in June 2024, some as late as August 2024, Sara has 180 days to reply, and COA has 60 days to rebut. The eight-month period for documents to move would likely prolong the people’s agony, as the COA’s final papers would only be due in February 2025 and April 2025, right smack in the mad rush of the in homestretch for the midterm elections in May 2025.
Denials have no probative value. More dubious are spending sprees that cannot be covered by the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF), which in themselves are least concerned with procurement and liquidation rules. Worst of all, Sara was not entitled to CIF in 2022 since she was still working with the appropriations for former Vice President Leni Robredo since the OVP did not have a single centavo in CIF from 2016 to 2022. Thus, at the outset, she spent money to which she was not entitled. For this fiscal shenanigan, she must reimburse the Filipino people. The monstrous error was based on one simple fact: She did not know that Manila is unlike Davao City and never understood that she accountable for wasteful spending. BY the way, has COA delivered a final report on the P2.7-billion CIF Sara enjoyed as Davao City mayor? (DIEGO MORRA)
