VP Sara attends House hearing on funds, takes oath

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte finally agreed to take her oath as a resource person of the House committee on good government and public accountability, to enable her to defend her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez.

Duterte initially questioned the House committee on good government and public accountability on the extended detention of Lopez, saying that it is “illegal.”

But before she could speak up to make her manifestations, panel chairman Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua warned Duterte that he would not recognize her unless she took her oath “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

The Vice President took the oath after Chua’s warning.

“Mr. Chair, the position of undersecretary, the secretaries and other appointed positions are positions of trust and confidence by the appointment of who, Mr. Chair?” Duterte asked.

“The resignation letters of the usec (undersecretary) and asecs (assistant secretaries) of DepEd were accepted by the appointing authority. Who is that, Mr. Chair? The President of the Republic of the Philippines?” she pressed.

Chua concurred with Duterte, with the Vice President adding “it is not the secretary of DepEd.”

“So you asked the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Why did he accept the resignation of the usec and asecs?” Duterte said, to the apparent surprise of Chua and the other members of the committee.

Duterte went on to ask, “Why are you questioning the due process? Ask the appointing authority why he accepted the resignation letter.” This led to further confusion in the panel.

Chua replied that they would tackle the question of the Vice President at a later time.

“We are not yet in the matter that you have mentioned. We are not yet in the period of interpellation. I was just about to open the interpellation,” he said. “We are still conferring, the members of the committee. Please do respect it.”

“Yes, I am very respectful. I am dovetailing from Congressman (Rodante) Marcoleta. The appointing authority is the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte replied, further pressing Chua to answer why his panel questioned the due process of resignations and appointments of the