‘No let up in OVP confidential fund probe’

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has given assurance that there will be “no let up” in the House of Representatives’ investigation into Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged mishandling of government funds, despite what he describes as her troubling display of anger recently.

At a press conference yesterday, Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop asserted that the chamber is committed to perform its duties, which is the lawmakers’ “primordial consideration.”

“That is our job and therefore, there should be no let up to show what really happened insofar as the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) when she was still the secretary,” Acop said.

Asked about Duterte’s emotional outburst during her media briefing last week, Acop expressed concern over what he perceived as her loss of composure.

“I think she is being overwhelmed by anger and hate. If a person is very, very angry, I think that person (is prone) to lose the sense of decency,” he added.

Managing one’s emotions in difficult times is a reflection of character, according to the lawmaker, suggesting that Duterte’s anger may be affecting her judgment.

“How you manage your hatred, it’s also a test of character,” he pointed out.

The House committee on good government and public accountability is investigating Duterte on allegations that she misused millions of pesos in confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd.

Despite the allegations, Duterte has refused to answer to clear her name.

Acop said the House would not ease up on its mandate to investigate the matter, as he emphasized that providing any leeway would go against the responsibility of lawmakers to uphold transparency.

“If we give leeway, it is not in accordance with our mandate. That’s how we see it,” he added.

‘Strange words’

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III described as “strange” the words uttered by Duterte in her press conference that mostly criticized President Marcos, saying “she needs to talk to some professionals, close friends or family.”

Pimentel said he even thought that AI (artificial intelligence) was speaking during the two-hour press conference last Friday and not the Vice President, given the kind of words he was hearing.

The senator added that with the strange words, he was worried about the Vice President.

“I think she needs to talk to some professionals and, maybe, some close friends and family so that she can get out what’s on her mind,” Pimentel told Senate reporters.

The senator used to be an ally of Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, in the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban), but the allies of the elder Duterte eventually ousted the Pimentel faction and dropped the word Laban from the party name.

“It’s hard if you don’t share. That’s all I can say, I hope there are close friends and family who listen and advise her that she has sessions that release those feelings… It’s not usual, let’s just say strange,” Pimentel said.

“It’s not usual, what she said is not usual... She verbalized what she thought, but what she thought was not usual, so maybe she needs to talk to someone who is wiser than us,” he added.

The Senate minority leader was apparently referring to the Vice President’s statement that she would behead President Marcos and have his late father’s body exhumed and dumped in the West Philippine Sea.

“I was surprised when I heard that I thought it was AI, but it’s not, so it’s really unusual what Vice President Sara Duterte said… It’s strange in the first place that she thought of it and then she just verbalized it,” Pimentel said.

But Pimentel stopped at giving additional opinion on the Duterte’s statement, saying, “As I am not an expert in medical science, maybe she needs a more knowledgeable person to talk to or family or close friends to bring out the feelings, not in a formal press conference.”

Accountability

Meanwhile, public school teachers are demanding accountability for the alleged corruption in the DepEd following revelations of former agency executives about receiving bribes and envelopes amid the “severe neglect” teachers face daily.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and hundreds of faculty club organizations nationwide said allegations that Duterte handed out envelopes of cash to DepEd executives were alarming and should be addressed immediately.

“These allegations are deeply troubling and cannot be ignored. We demand a full investigation into these corruption anomalies and insist on holding Vice President Duterte accountable if implicated,” ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua said yesterday.

The ACT was referring to revelations during previous House committee on good government hearings on Duterte’s alleged anomalous spending of DepEd funds, where she was accused by former and current education executives of handing out envelopes of cash.

The Vice President was also accused of using certifications as DepEd secretary from soldiers, without their knowledge, to justify the disbursement of P15 million of its confidential funds for payment of informants in 2023.

DepEd director Resty Osias, who was bids and awards committee chairman when Duterte was DepEd chief, earlier said he received these envelopes four times, containing P12,000 to P15,000 cash.

At a previous hearing, former DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado accused Duterte of bribing her on numerous instances to allegedly skirt procurement guidelines.

The alleged corrupt practices, according to the ACT, loomed over public school teachers who remained “overworked, underpaid and undervalued.”

“As educators celebrated World Teachers’ Day, the lack of meaningful support and recognition from the government, particularly from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was glaring… The silence from the administration on these pressing issues is a stark reflection of its disregard for the plight of educators,” Quetua said.

The ACT and its affiliate teachers said the government needs to prioritize comprehensive reforms, including substantial salary increases, workload reduction and enhanced support systems for teachers.

“We call on President Marcos Jr. to speak out and take decisive action. Empty promises are not enough; we need concrete measures to uplift our educators and restore public trust in our educational institutions,” Quetua said.

“The ACT remains committed to the struggle for educators’ rights and the fight against corruption. We will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability and the rightful allocation of resources to the education sector, ensuring it receives the attention and support it deserves,” he added. — Cecille Suerte Felipe, Neil Jayson Servallos