By Farah G. Decano

 

VICE President Sara Z. Duterte released a video last week clarifying some issues regarding her behaviour during the congressional budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President.

In her explanation, VP Sara revealed that the fund hearing was all for show because there were only two people who controlled the national budget anyway – Speaker Martin Romualdez and Appropriations Committee Chair, Zaldy Co.   She further unveiled that, during her term as the Secretary of the Department of Education, several billions of pesos were padded on her 2024 budget with a list of infrastructure projects her office did not prepare.

Senator Ping Lacson confirmed that VP Sara’s revelations may have some factual basis.  He mentioned that these sudden changes in the approved budget may have happened  at the level of the Bicameral Conference Committee (BiCam) which consists of a few members from the Senate and the House.

Although the BiCam’s mandate is only to harmonize or reconcile conflicting items in the  approved legislations of the Senate and the House,  Senator Lacson disclosed and decried the practice of  the BiCam introducing new items to the final and harmonized version of the bill.  Because of this, he divulged that the BiCam was given the monicker, “the most powerful chamber.”   As regards VP Sara’s exposé that only two people control the country’s budget, Senator Lacson implicitly agreed with the vice president when he  said that the members of the BiCam meet for ceremonial reasons and leave the decision-making to the chairs of the Senate and House’s appropriations committee.

On a more recent occasion, former undersecretary Cielo Magno dared the Vice President to go all out with her opposition by challenging the BiCam to go livestream and have their meetings’ minutes prepared for the public to access.   VP Sara must consider this suggestion. It seems plausible.

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President BBM’s strong points have something to do with issues that involve foreign elements.  He is undaunted with his stand regarding the West Philippine Issue, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators’ scam, the captures of Alice Guo and Apollo Quiboloy.

 I hope the domestic issues that do not involve foreign interests, will be resolved with the same degree of sincerity and fervor.  For example, corruption in our country remains unbridled.  Mayor Benjamin Magalong of Baguio City, in his June speech before the Rotary Club of Makati, disclosed the following information: 1.  Some congressmen and congresswomen request for a minimum of 25 percent of the total cost of their projects; 2. Seventy (70) percent of politicians are contractors and suppliers including that of medicines. 3. Their favorite endeavors are flood control projects, new roads, asphalt layering, rock netting, and road safety devices.  Perhaps, BBM can have a copy of this study by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.     

Other domestic matters that are still clouded in doubt are the economic issues pertaining to the Philhealth and Maharlika funds;  and the escalating inflation and the diminishing purchasing power of the Filipinos.   BBM still has to make a mark in these  areas.    

Aha! There are the empty niches!  If VP Sara can take progressive economy, transparency, and accountability as her primary advocacies, then she just rediscovered unoccupied territories.  She can be the beacon in  these areas.  She can transform her tag from “shiminet” to “shican!”  She can  lead the move!  She can start with good credibility by clearing her disallowances. Shican, cantshi?

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