MANILA Rep. Rolando Valeriano challenged Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday to prove where and how her office spent billions in funds for socio-economic programs last year and this year.
In a privilege speech, Valeriano also criticized the country’s second highest official for the rude and disrespectful behavior she showed during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on her 2025 P2.037 billion budget Tuesday last week.
Valeriano, who chairs the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said if the vice president cannot support her socio-economic program expenditures with evidence, people would suspect the funds had been wasted.
He said he was surprised to find out that Metro Manila was the focus of the spending despite Duterte being the Vice President of the entire nation.
“Ang nakapagtataka sa kanyang budget ng 2023, 2024, at 2025 ay bakit sa National Capital Region lang nakalaan ang mga ayuda programs niya. Bilang Chairman ng House Committee on Metro Manila Development, nagtataka lang ako kung saan dito sa Metro Manila napunta ang bilyong pondo ng Socioeconomic Programs ng kanyang opisina,” he said.
“Nagtataka ako dahil siya naman ay Pangalawang Pangulo ng buong bayan,” he added.
“Sa kanilang 2025 budget proposal, mayroon silang 977, 615 beneficiaries. Nasaan na ang mga ito? Totoo ba ito lahat at verified ba?” Valeriano asked.
He told his colleagues that according to the OVP, it signed 793 “strategic partnerships” for implementing its programs in 2023.
“Nasaan ang listahan ng strategic partnerships at mga strategic partnership agreements? At kapag walang totoong listahan ng beneficiaries at dokumento ng strategic partnership, hindi malayong maghinala ang taumbayan na nawala ang pondo ng bayan, para siguro sa darating na panahon,” he said.
He lamented that instead of explaining her programs and where the funds were spent in last week’s hearing, the Vice President repeatedly refused to answer questions and showed hostility toward House members.
“At bilang pagtatapos, nais ko lang ipaalala sa mga botante sa Maynila at sa buong bansa, hindi nararapat sa atin, lalo na't siya'y nag-aambisyon na maging Pangulo, ang ayaw magsabi kung saan ginastos ang pondo ng bayan,” Valeriano said.
He asked who VP Duterte is serving.
“Sino ba talaga ang boss at pinaglilingkuran niya? Baka naman ang boss niya ay humaharang sa bangka ng mga Pilipinong mangingisda o ang mga promotor ng POGO,” he said.
“Ganyan ba ang asal ng ating Bise Presidente at nag-aambisyong maging Presidente? We deserve better,” he said.
He reminded the Vice President that the appropriations for her office come from taxpayers’ money and her expenditures are subject to scrutiny by Congress.
“Hindi pera ng Pangalawang Pangulo ang Office of the Vice President budget para sa 2022, 2023, 2024, at 2025. Pondo ng bayan iyan. Kaya nga mayroong budget hearings ay para malaman ng ‘madlang pipol’ kung paano ginagastos ng mga opisina ng gobyerno ang pondo ng bayan na ipinagkatiwala sa kanila,” he said.
He said the hostile, rude and disrespectful behavior exhibited by the Vice President last week is not typical of Filipino demeanor.
“Dito sa Kamara, hindi natin tinatapatan ng kabatusan ang kabastusan. Maling asal kasi iyon. Sa Maynila, at dito sa Kamara pamantayan natin ang pagiging magalang, kasi kaugaliang Pilipino iyan,” he said.
“Maling akala ni Vice President na siya ay hindi maaaring salungatin ng kahit sino…Maling akala ni VP Sara na may kapangyarihan siyang utusan ang Committee on Appropriations na palitan ang Presiding Officer nito…Maling akala rin ni VP Sara na wala tayong karapatan magtanong ng anumang bagay tungkol sa budget ng kanyang opisina,” he said.
He added that it was cowardice on the part of Duterte to evade questioning by lawmakers who have the right and duty to ask questions about her budget.
“Isang kaduwagan at pag iwas sa tanong ang kanyang sagot. Iyan ang nagdudumilat na katotohanang nasaksihan natin sa budget hearing. Takot sa mga lehitimong mga tanong ng taumbayan,” he stressed.
Khonghun said the failure of DepEd officials under VP Duterte to implement the laudable program properly not only deprived the children of getting appropriate and adequate nutrients but also of the opportunity to learn well.
“Kapag gutom ka, kumakalam ang sikmura mo - maging bata o matanda - ay di ka makakapag-focus sa pag-aaral o sa anumang ginagawa mo,” Khonghun said.
“That is why we say this is criminal neglect on the part of the implementers of the program, from the highest level at DepEd to the level of the school-recipient,” Ortega and Khonghun both stressed.
They said the culpability becomes heavier if there was a pupil who got sick because of the expired milk or nutribun delivered.
“Sana, wala namang na-ospital sa kanila,” they said.
“The suppliers are equally guilty and they, too, should be punished,” they added.
The two lawmakers pointed out that thousands of schoolchildren were affected since the delivery of spoiled milk and nutribuns with molds or insects, as reported by the COA, took place in 10 of the country’s 17 regions.
“Karamihan nitong sampung rehiyon ay nasa Mindanao. Mistulang pinabayaan ng tanggapan ni VP ang mismong kanyang mga kababayan doon,” they stressed.
Relatedly, two lawmakers demanded that the Vice President address the damning COA findings from her tenure at the DepEd, rather than diverting attention with baseless accusations.
House Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, one of the leaders of “Young Guns,” said public service requires transparency and accountability, especially when faced with clear evidence of underperformance.
“The COA report paints an alarming picture of DepEd’s failures under Vice President Duterte’s leadership. Completing only 192 out of 6,379 target classrooms is not just a minor oversight—it’s a gross neglect of duty,” Bongalon, a lawyer, pointed out.
He condemned the Vice President for playing the blame game and pointing fingers at an alleged "Makabayan-Romualdez-Marcos alliance" instead of addressing the failures at DepEd under her watch.
“This is not about politics; it’s about the future of our children and the efficient use of public funds,” Bongalon stressed.
He further noted that while Duterte may have resigned from DepEd in July, she cannot simply walk away from the consequences of her leadership.
“These problems are now left to her successor, Secretary Sonny Angara, who is expected to clean up the mess she left behind,” Bongalon said.
He added: “The COA findings are a call to action, not an opportunity for diversion. We need answers, and more importantly, we need solutions."
House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre echoed these concerns, pressing the Vice President to confront the issues head-on.
“The COA’s findings on the minimal completion of Last Mile Schools and the inefficient use of the Basic Education Facilities Fund are not just numbers on a page—they represent broken promises to our most vulnerable students,” he said.
Acidre continued, “Vice President Duterte's attempt to shift the focus to rising food prices and political conspiracies is a disservice to the millions of students who rely on DepEd to provide a conducive learning environment. She must account for these failures, and we expect no less."
Echoing Bongalon, Acidre said Duterte’s resignation from DepEd “does not absolve her of responsibility,” insisting that “stepping down and leaving these challenges to her successor is not enough.”
“The Filipino people, especially the students, deserve an explanation for why only 3.41% of the Last Mile Schools were completed and why so many classrooms remain unfinished or unrepaired,” Acidre said.
“Leadership is about owning up to shortcomings and taking concrete steps to rectify them, not about making excuses,” he concluded.
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