VP Sara to miss upcoming House hearing

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said she will not be attending the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability's continuing investigation into her office's budget utilization.

Duterte said she was invited to attend the first hearing but was not given the opportunity to answer questions.

"Siguro narinig nila ang interview ko sa Senate kasi tinanong ako doon kung bakit hindi ako pumupunta sa mga hearings nila [Congress] kasi sabi ko hindi nila naiimbitahan. Totoo 'yun (They must have heard my interview at the Senate, where I was asked why I hadn't attended Congress hearings. I said I hadn't been invited. It's true)," she told reporters in a short interview on the sidelines of the 89th founding anniversary of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at the agency's central office in Mandaluyong City.

"Nakalimutan ata nila na imbitahin ako, inimbitahan nila ako isang beses lang doon sa unang hearing. Pumunta ako, umupo ako doon, hindi naman ako tinanong, nakikita nyo nakaupo lang ako doon. Nasasayang ang oras ko kaya nagpaalam ako kung pwede ako umalis, pinayagan naman nila ako na umalis ako (They might have forgotten to invite me after inviting me to the first hearing. I attended but I wasn't asked anything. You just saw me sitting there. My time was wasted, so I took my leave with their permission)," the Vice President added.

She said she was invited to attend the first hearing, but it was a waste of time as she was not given the chance to explain anything about the OVP budget.

"So, hindi ko alam kung bakit inimbita nila ako, hindi nila ako binigyan ng mga tanong (So, I don't know why they invited me when they didn't ask me questions)," she said.

"Pero hindi na ako aattend sa hearing sa susunod kasi nandun na ako, pumunta na ako, wala naman sila ginawa sa akin, pinaupo lang nila ako (But, I won't be attending future hearings, because when I went they didn't do anything with me)," the Vice President added, referring to her attendance at the House panel inquiry where she refused to take her oath prior to giving her testimony.

Duterte said she will instead submit a letter and affidavit regarding her office's confidential funds.

"We plan to send a letter, we plan to say why, and then I plan as well to submit an affidavit about confidential funds, under oath din naman ang affidavit na 'yan," she said.

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability invited the Vice President to attend their 20 November inquiry.