Koko to Sara: Focus on VP role, instead of buses, books, bags

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Sunday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to direct her attention to her main duty as the country’s second top government official, instead of implementing programs that are not within her mandate.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Pimentel said that Congress should understand what the role of the Vice President really is, and just give her the proper amount in her budget so she is able to fulfill that role.

“Hindi na niya role na magbigay ng mga school bags. Hindi na niya role na magpatakbo ng mga bus. Sayang oras niya eh,” Pimentel said.

(It’s no longer her role to provide school bags or to operate free bus rides. It's a waste of her time.)

“Ang Vice President puro aral, puro briefing para handa siya maging Presidente anytime. ‘Yun lang ang budget-an namin,” he added. 

(The Vice President should only study and attend briefings so that she is ready to become President anytime. That's all we need to allocate a budget on.)

According to the Constitution, the Vice President is mandated to assume the Presidency in case of the death, disability, or resignation of the incumbent President. Likewise, the Vice President may also concurrently assume a cabinet position should the President offer him or her one.

The 46-year old Duterte previously served as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) since 2022, until she resigned in June this year. She also quit her post as the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

For fiscal year 2025, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is seeking a P2.037 billion proposed budget.

At the Senate, Senator Risa Hontiveros had pointed out that a huge chunk of the OVP’s P1.909 billion operations budget is allotted for the delivery of socio-economic programs such as medical and burial assistance, disaster operations, food bags for certain families, and livelihood assistance.

The lawmaker and Duterte had a heated exchange after the former said these programs are “very similar” with the existing programs of other line agencies of the government.

At the House of Representatives, meanwhile, the House committee on appropriations deferred the deliberations of the OVP’s budget for next year amid the Vice President’s refusal to answer how her office uses its budget.

Since Duterte has repeatedly said that she will leave it to the Congress to decide on the OVP’s budget proposal, Pimentel said that the Senate and House should both show grit and remove the budget allocation for projects that are not under the Vice President's mandate, such as providing financial assistance, handing out school bags and offering free bus rides.

This also included the P10 million budget for the printing of the children's book “Isang Kaibigan,” which Duterte authored herself, said Pimetel. He also called the distribution of the book “self dealing” as it mentions her name and shows Duterte’s photo.

“Kasama na lahat ‘yun kasi ‘yung libro ilalagay niya sa school bag, wala ka namang business giving out school bags na ilalagay mo sa government budget. Pero kunwari meron siyang private donor, siempre hindi na natin mapipigilan ‘yun,” the solon said.

(All of that is included because the book will be put in the school bag, and she has no business giving out school bags and even you put in the government budget. But if she has a private donor, of course we can't stop that.)

Asked for the OVP's reaction regarding the matter, spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa told GMA News Online that they will issue one if ever Duterte has a comment.—RF, GMA Integrated News