Koko: Sara Duterte's latest behavior might affect OVP budget

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Monday warned that the recent behavior shown by Vice President Sara Duterte might affect the 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

"This latest development can affect the budget of the OVP. We may decide that with her behavior, she and her office do not deserve more budget," Pimentel said in a text message to reporters.

The minority leader also called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify the person whom Duterte supposedly ordered to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be assassinated.

"Threats to the lives of high government officials and their family members must be thoroughly investigated especially by the NBI. Also we need to get the identity of that person that VP talked to, who gave her that assurance that he can carry out the assassinations. Who is that person?" Pimentel said.

In an ambush interview, Senate finance committee chairperson Grace Poe said that the budget-related decisions of the chamber are not based on "personality."

"Never naman dapat nakaapekto 'yun. Hindi naman personality ito eh," Poe told reporters when asked if the recent remarks of Duterte might affect the restoration of the OVP's proposed budget for 2025.

(Those remarks should not affect their budget. This is not based on personality.)

To recall, the Senate finance committee has adopted the House of Representatives' proposed budget for the OVP which cut the original allocation of P2 billion under the National Expenditures Program (NEP) to P733 million.

Last week, Senator Joel Villanueva said he and four to five of his colleagues want to increase the budget of Duterte's office to help the agency’s social programs.

Duterte made the kill remark early Saturday morning during an online media conference held at the House of Representatives, where Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez was detained after being cited in contempt.

Lopez was ordered detained at the lower chamber after she was cited in contempt for her supposed "undue interference" in the House's investigation into the confidential funds of offices held by Duterte.

"'Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez," Duterte said during the virtual press conference.

(I've already spoken to someone, so don't worry about my security. I told that person to kill BBM [Marcos' initials] Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez if I were to be slain.)

"Nagbilin na ako, ma'am. ‘Pag namatay ako, wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila. And then he said 'yes.'"

(Ma'am, I've already left a directive. Don't stop till you've killed them all if I die. And then he said, "Yes.")

Duterte clarified later that day that her statement was not a threat, explaining that she only highlighted the alleged threat to her security.

The National Security Council said Sunday that it considers all threats to Marcos as serious and a matter of national security.

Questioning the NSC's statement, Duterte stood firm that her remark that she ordered to have Marcos killed if an alleged plot against her succeeds was "maliciously taken out of logical context."

Earlier in the day, Presidential Security Command (PSC) civil military operations officer Major Nestor Endozo said the Marcos' security has been doubled following Duterte's assassination remark against the First Couple and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. — VDV/RF, GMA Integrated News