Absence of respect and decorum
WHAT is it about Vice President Sara Duterte that seems to invite hostility around her?
This question was shared by many after watching her exchange barbs not only with the members of the House of Representatives but with senators, too, particularly Sen. Risa Hontiveros, during the committee hearings on her office’s budget. (But to be fair, she was also provoked by persistent questions about her past performance).
A number of national newspapers described her engagement with committee members of HOR as setting “bad precedent” on seeing her launch a combative figure, listening to her derisive tone towards members of the legislative, a co-equal.
At one point, she even appeared to be like the city mayor that she was who was blasting members of the Davao City Council for their “poor performance.”
She set the tone when she maintained to “forego the opportunity to defend the budget through question and answer” — a courtesy she presumed she was entitled to even after she publicly crossed swords with House leaders this year.
While the Makabayan bloc’s agenda was clearly to embarrass her while making her accountable for her administration’s annual budgets since 2022, VP Sara (and Rep. Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo) contended discussions of the past were already irrelevant, justifying her refusal to respond to their pointed questions.
She even asked that the presiding officer, Rep. Stella Qumpo, to be replaced.
When a congressman reminded Duterte that resource speakers “do not have any right to ask any questions,” she challenged the committee: “Where is that? That rule where resource speakers cannot ask questions?”
With Sen. Hontiveros, the vice president sought to cut her persistent questions about her published book for distribution to school learners across the country by charging her with political and malicious motivations.
Her pugnacious responses indicate that the vice president appears not only to have no respect for transparency checks and balances but lacks the discipline to observe proper decorum.
She had the chance to shine and embarrass the congressmen but she couldn’t help but get down to their level. Down she went.
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