Sara to skip anew House probe on budget use

Despite personally receiving an invitation, Vice President Sara Duterte said she will not attend the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability on Nov. 20 on her alleged misuse of the Office of the Vice President (OVP)'s confidential funds.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a chance interview with reporters on the sidelines of the OVP's 89th anniversary celebration yesterday, Duterte lamented that she was not asked any questions by lawmakers when she attended an earlier hearing of the committee.

“They invited me once, during the first hearing. And I attended, I sat there but they did not ask me any questions. You can see it (in the videos), I was just sitting there, my time was wasted. So, I asked if I could leave already and they allowed me. I don’t understand why they invited me but did not even ask me any question,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Duterte was referring to the hearing last Sept. 18, wherein she refused to be placed under oath, saying she was not invited as a witness but as a resource person.

“When you sent a letter to the Office of the Vice President, you attached a copy of the rules in aid of legislation. It was stated there (in the rules) that only witnesses shall be placed under oath,” Duterte back then told the House panel members.