VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte’s “rant” is “right out of the Duterte playbook” by stirring away from the real issues, former Bayan Muna Party-list representative Teddy Casiño said here on Wednesday.
In a press conference at the Coffee at Yellow Hauz, Casiño, who is also the Bagong Alyansa Makabayan chairperson, said VP Sara should address the issues surrounding her office’s use of public funds.
“You say something so ridiculous, so controversial, and it becomes the talk of the town, that the real issue is put behind. We should stick to that issue, hindi dapat patulan yung mga wala namang kwentang intrigue and controversies na nilapag ni Sara sa presscon,” he said.
In the hearing of the House good government and public accountability committee on Office of Vice President budget use on Thursday, October 17, it was revealed the OVP spent P16 million out of its P125 million confidential funds in 2022 for 11 days.
The P16 million was used to pay safe houses for the period, according to the OVP accomplishment report presented by the Commission on Audit.
In the report, dated Dec. 21 to 31, 2022, the P16 million was labeled “Rental of Other Incidental Expenses Relative to the Maintenance of Safe Houses.”
The House Panel issued subpoena to OVP chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez, lawyer Lemuel Ortonio, lawyer Rosalynne Sanchez, Gina Acosta, Julieta Villadelrey, and Edward Fajarda for non-attendance in the probe. VP Sara maintained there was no misuse of funds and the ongoing probe is only a test to discredit her name and “make a case for her impeachment.”
Yet on Tuesday, VP Sara challenged lawmaker reelectionists and aspirants who are running in the 2025 elections to undergo neuropsychiatric and drug tests after she was accused of being “unhinged and mentally unstable” in Friday’s presscon.
The challenge stemmed after his presscon on October 18, attacking the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and threatening to exhume the remains of the late President Marcos Sr.
Casiño said that the VP’s challenge “seemed to be working” with the Congressmen and other members of the Senate as some have already subjected themselves.
He urged lawmakers not to “fall for that Duterte playbook” and stir the attention of the public back to the issue the VP should be addressing .
“Hindi naman yan yung issue. Ipabalik lang ng mga players doon sa totoong issue, and hayaan lang nila magdadakdak si Sara,” he said.
Casiño explained non-attendance of VP in the House inquiry of her office’s fund use could be a ground for her impeachment, which is only a matter of “when is the proper time.”
