DISMAYING
PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon said he was dismayed over Vice President Sara Duterte’s comments before the Senate subcommittee on finance hearing last Tuesday.
Gadon viewed as incoherent and irrelevant Duterte’s points on issues raised especially on the P10 million budget item in her proposed budget for next year.
“Dismayado ako sa mga kasagutan at komento ni VP Sara , para sa akin ay incoherent at irrelevant. . . Sa tingin ko ay lumabas na kulang na kulang sa statesmanship at experience si VP Sara at dahil dito ay duda ako na siya ay nararapat maging pinuno ng bansa,” he stressed.
Duterte and Hontiveros traded barbs over the P10 million budget for a children’s book entitled “Isang Kaibigan,” authored by the vice president herself intended to be distributed to the public.
Instead of directly answering Hontiveros’ queries about the content of the book, Duterte responded by accusing the former of “politicizing” the budget hearing.
According to Gadon, Senator Hontiveros was only doing her job when she asked about a budget item on the Office of the Vice President “and it’s her duty to scrutinize the budget.”
“Sen. Hontiveros’ questions are normal questions and she’s not politicizing, while (VP) Sara’s are incoherent and irrelevant,” the presidential adviser said.
The Palace official pointed out that it is only appropriate that Sen. Hontiveros have to ask questions about the budget of Duterte’s office as it is the senator’s duty to scrutinize the budget proposed by any head of an agency who appears before the Senate and the House of Representatives.
