House leader: VP Sara Duterte to blame for putting 200 OVP workers at risk

Vice President Sara Duterte has herself to blame over the fate of her 200 employees whose jobs are now at risk because she refused to defend her office’s P2 billion proposed budget for 2025, House good government and public accountability panel vice chairman Jefferson 'Jay' Khonghun said Monday.

Khonghun was referring to Duterte’s earlier statement that around 200 personnel could lose jobs if the Senate will adopt the decision of the House of Representatives to allocate P733 million budget to OVP for 2025.

“Responsibility niya ‘yun (200 OVP employees). Dahil kung humarap siya sa Congress at ipinagtanggol niya 'yung budget niya at jinustify niya 'yung budget niya, hindi mawawalan ng trabaho 'yung mga tao ngayon. So, it's her responsibility. Bakit niya ipapasa sa Kongreso?” Khonghun said in a press conference.

(That 200 employees is her responsibility. Had she came here and defended, justified her office's proposed budget for next year, these people will not lose their jobs. Why is she passing it to Congress?)

“Binigyan namin siya ng pagkakataon para ipaglaban, i-justify 'yung kanyang budget. The problem is, hindi na jinustify ‘yung budget niya. Sinabi niya, bahala ang Kongreso. Ilang beses siya inimbitahan, hindi siya umattend, hindi siya pumunta para i-justify ang kanyang budget. And yet, pagkatapos, ibabalik niya sa Kongreso ‘yung mawawalan ng trabaho?” he added.

(We gave her opportunities to fight for, justify her proposed budget. She said it is up to Congress. She was invited but she did not show up. And now she is pointing at Congress over this?)

La Union Representative and Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V, for his part, said the Vice President showing up to defend her budget would have made the difference for those 200 contract of service employees.

“Baka nadagdagan pa [ang budget nila kung dinepensahan niya],” Ortega added.

(Congress would have even increased their budget.)

The lawmakers were referring to the decision of the Vice President not to entertain questions on her office’s P2 billion proposed 2025 budget from members of the House and the Senate.

Further, administration lawmakers said Duterte cannot expect to retain the OVP's P2 billion proposed budget if she is not being transparent on how her office will use it.

“We need transparency and accountability on government funds, and we have seen how the OVP and the Vice President avoided such transparency and accountability in spending government funds. Papaano pa natin sila pagkakatiwalaan (How can we trust them?),” Khonghun said.

“There is this problem with the employment of 200 OVP personnel because there are already issues on how they use their budget and their low utilization rate. How can we increase their budget given such a situation? Common sense would dictate that if their funds are underutilized, they are not being efficient in their jobs and implementing their office’s programs,” Ortega added.

Ortega did not cite specifics but prior to the recommended budget cut by Congress to the OVP’s 2025 budget cut to P733 million from over P2 billion, the Commission on Audit’s disclosed the following findings on the OVP for its 2023 budget before the House appropriations panel:

• OVP's lease expenses increased to P53 million in 2023 from P29 million in 2022
• Only P600,000 out of P150 million budget for Magnegosyo Ta Day was used
• Each of the 10 satellite offices, except for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (P200,000), accumulated P2.2 million in cash advances.
• No clear guidelines in distribution of bags and books (“Isang Kaibigan”) for students
• 53 schools in PagbaBAGo program (bag distribution) have no pre-determined list of beneficiaries
• Students have pre-signed forms confirming receipt of bags ahead of distribution

GMA News Online reached out to the OVP for comment but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Aside from a possible reduced budget for 2025, the Vice President is also facing a House good government and public accountability panel inquiry on the budget use of the OVP and the DepEd, during her stint, including the disbursement of confidential funds.

The said inquiry will resume on November 20, but the Vice President already said she will not be attending it since the lawmakers did not ask her questions when she went there in September. Duterte refused to take her oath prior to giving her testimony that time.—AOL/RF, GMA Integrated News