VICE-PRESIDENT Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio should resign from public office if she has no interest in defending the Office of the Vice President鈥檚 (OVP) proposed budget for next year before the House of Representatives, a lawmaker said on Tuesday.
鈥淥ur Vice President is consistent鈥 in the sense that she didn鈥檛 attend the [House] committee on appropriations budget hearing, and she didn鈥檛 attend the plenary session either,鈥 Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo D. Bongalon said in a press briefing.
鈥淚f that鈥檚 the case, it shows that she鈥檚 not interested in her duties as the Vice President of the Philippines. If she鈥檚 not interested…, we can ask the Vice President to step down,鈥 he added.
The OVP did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment.
Ms. Carpio has snubbed the House鈥檚 deliberations on the OVP鈥檚 proposed P2.03- billion budget for next year, drawing the ire of congressmen. This led to a 64% cut to her budget, as lawmakers argued social development projects of the OVP were redundant with the Health and Social Welfare departments.
She also refused to meet Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong, who is the designated sponsor of the OVP budget during plenary debates.
In a letter dated Sept. 11 addressed to Mr. Adiong鈥檚 office, published online on Sept. 23, the OVP reiterated that it 鈥渓eaves the deliberation of our budget proposal in the plenary entirely to the pleasure of the House of Representatives.鈥 鈥 Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
