Lawmakers to VP Sara: Step down if you can't fulfill your duty

MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers on Tuesday, September 24, said that Vice President Sara Duterte should resign if she has no intention of fulfilling her duties as the official holding the second highest position in government. 

“Kung hindi na po siya interesado sa kanyang pong duties and functions as the vice president, we can ask the vice president to step down,” Rep. Jil Bongalon (Ako Bicol Party) said at a press conference.  

(If she is no longer interested in her duties and functions as vice president, we can ask her to step down.)

This is the response of lawmakers to Duterte’s refusal to attend the proceedings for the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2025 budget. No authorized representative was also present at the OVP’s scheduled plenary debate on Monday. 

RELATED: VP Sara's absence stalls OVP budget debate

Asked about their reaction to Duterte’s alleged vacation at a beach in Camarines Norte over the weekend, Bongalon said there is no problem with that. 

However, the lawmaker said that if Duterte is serious about her duties as vice president, she should have returned to Manila by Sunday or coordinated with Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District). He added that this would have allowed Adiong to prepare for questions during the plenary. 

“In other words, this means she really has no intention to attend the plenary hearing to sponsor and defend the OVP's budget,” Bongalon said in Filipino.  

Shared sentiment. Rep. Jay-Jay Suarez (Quezon, 2nd District) also said the sentiments expressed by lawmakers at the press conference on Monday are also shared by other House members because it is a government official’s job to show up. 

“This is not about her, this is about the Office of the Vice President, the second highest position of the land. And you have to show respect and due courtesy to that office and to simply show up and do your work. I think it's the least that she can do for the Office of the Vice President,” Suarez added.  

While Duterte provided a letter dated September 11 to Adiong, Rep. Ramon Gutierrez (1-Rider Party) said the letter did not specify that she would be absent, the reason for it or indicate that there