MANILA – “Wag siyang ipokrita!”

This was the message of House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France Castro after Vice President Sara Duterte expressed sympathy for her subordinates, who were grilled by congressmen investigating the P612.5 million confidential expenses of the OVP and the Department of Education in 2022 and 2023.

Castro said if Duterte agreed to take an oath to tell the truth and responded to lawmakers’ questions, her subordinates would not have to be the ones to face the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

“Kasalanan niya ‘yan. Huwag niya kaming sisihin, dahil ginusto niya ‘yan, na ang mga staff niya ‘yung sumalang. Siya nga ang pinapasalang namin, ayaw niya mag-take oath,” Castro told the media in an interview.

“‘Yung mga nagte-take oath kasi, doon ine-expect natin na magsasabi ng totoo. Ayaw niyang gawin ‘yun, kaya ‘yung mga staff niya ‘yung tinawag natin. Sila naman ang gumagawa ng mga kumbaga dirty works sa baba. So tinawag natin,” she added.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez urged Duterte on Thursday to personally attend the ongoing House investigation into the alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds.

“Eh ‘di dapat lang siyang sumipot at mag-oath at mag-salita… Siya lang yata may alam kung anong nangyari diyan sa mga pondo, kaya dapat siya ang mag-eksplika,” Romualdez said during an ambush interview in Albay.

The House leader added that Duterte should not pass the responsibility of explaining the funds in question to her subordinates.

“’Wag na niyang ibigay sa mga officials niya sa OVP at sa DepEd. Sana lang magsalita,” Romualdez said.

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Chairperson Rep. Joel Chua said it is the duty of both the House and the OVP to ensure that public funds are spent properly.

“Ang usapin po na subject ng aming imbistigasyon ay pondo po ng bayan. Hindi po biro ito, dahil P612.5 million po ang involved na pondo dito.  Tungkulin po namin parehas alamin kung ano po ang nangyari dito, at kung saan napunta ang nasabing pondo,” he said.

Duterte only attended the House panel’s first hearing, where she refused to take an oath and left after reading a prepared statement. But she asserted there was no misuse of public funds in her office.

On Wednesday, the Vice President expressed sympathy for her subordinates, who have been invited and questioned by lawmakers as the House of Representatives. She said the OVP staff and officials are not politicians, and should not have to deal with political differences.

“Ang akong mga kauban sa OVP kay kung makit-an ninyo, luoy gyud kaayo sila. Sa pag-persecute sa akoa, sa paggukod sa akoa, sa pagdaot sa akong pangalan, naapil ang ilang trabaho, naapil ang ilang pangalan,” Duterte said.

(Ang mga kasama ko sa OVP, kung makikita niyo, kawawang-kawawa sila. Sa pag-persecute sa akin, sa paghahabol sa akin, sa paninira ng aking pangalan, nadamay ang kanilang trabaho pati ang kanilang pangalan.)