Ako Bicol accuses Sara of ‘Budol-Budol’ tactic

By Manuel T. Ugalde

AKO Bicol Partylist Representative Rizaldy Co has accused Vice President and former Education Secretary Sara Duterte of employing what he termed a ‘budol-budol’ (swindling) tactic, following intense scrutiny from lawmakers during the budget hearing for the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2025 budget last week.

During the budget hearing, chaired by Congressman Co under the Committee on Appropriations, lawmakers raised concerns about millions in disallowances flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA). These disallowances included expenditures related to the Vice President’s use of intelligence and confidential funds.

As the budget discussions progressed, Vice President Duterte, seemingly displeased, chose to skip the second scheduled OVP budget hearing on Tuesday. This led the House Committee on Appropriations to terminate the hearing for the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget.

In response, VP Duterte levelled a serious accusation, claiming that certain lawmakers had approached her during the 2023 budget hearing, when the OVP and the Department of Education proposed a P5 billion budget for classroom construction.

She alleged that these unnamed lawmakers had sought a “kickback” from the proposed budget, a request she said she outright rejected. According to Duterte, she informed the lawmakers to convey to Speaker Martin Romualdez not to take advantage of the OVP’s budget, citing the significant backlog in classroom construction projects.

VP Duterte further claimed that, following her refusal to engage in the alleged kickback scheme, Congress increased the P5 billion budget for classroom construction to P15 billion, with control of the additional P10 billion supposedly resting with Romualdez and his allies. She cited this as one of the reasons for her resignation as Education Secretary.

The Vice President also accused Speaker Romualdez and Congressman Rizaldy Co of wielding undue control over budget allocations in Congress.

VP Duterte faced heavy scrutiny during the hearings regarding her office’s 2025 budget proposal. Lawmakers criticized her for displaying what they perceived as arrogance in addressing questions, particularly concerning COA’s findings related to the OVP’s spending on intelligence and confidential funds in 2023. Rather than offering direct answers, Duterte appeared defiant and combative, which further fueled tensions.

In response to Duterte’s claims, Congressman Co issued a strongly worded rebuttal, accusing the Vice President of resorting to a diversionary tactic he likened to ‘budol-budol’ to cover her own misdeeds. He emphasized that all government agencies, including the Office of the President, must face congressional scrutiny regarding their proposed budgets.

Netizens lauded Congressman Co for his bold stance against the Vice President, who has been labeled by some as a ‘spoiled brat.’ Critics also pointed out that, despite her background as a lawyer and former Education Secretary, Duterte often struggles to communicate fluently in English.