VP Sara hits back

[Lee]

Quote

 

AFTER many months of being the punching bag of her political detractors and subjected to relentless assaults on her person and reputation, the demure, sweet but feisty when crossed or provoked, beautiful, unassuming, dedicated and incorruptible sleeping dragon of a woman has awakened and spewing fire at her hypocritical former allies now political enemies — who cannot hold a candle to her and presently receiving a dose of their own medicine.

Fatuous and analphabetic inquisitors

In the current congressional deliberations on the budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), she made her inquisitors look fatuous and analphabetic of their own rules on the subject matter being discussed and of the Constitution.

Stupid, irrelevant and prying questions are asked of the resource persons who are being made to appear as convicts, liars and immoral people. The function of the prosecutors and the courts is usurped with disgusting impunity, if not with clowning hilarity.

The intelligence of the viewers is severely offended and insulted. Such infliction is an undeserved punishment.

The attack on VP Sara commenced when her confidential funds in the OVP were placed under a magnifying lens. It's constitutionally questioned, and so are the disbursements. There is nothing irregular or illegal about it.

It came from the confidential funds of the Office of the President (OP). President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., upon the request of VP Sara, transferred a part of it to her office. She intended — and used it — to fight the enemies of the state, particularly the armed communist rebellion. The communist rebels have been recruiting young students to their cause and turning them into armed cadres of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

As mayor of Davao City, like her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, she used the confidential funds to successfully arrest the attempt by the armed radical left to resurge after its dismantling by her predecessor.

While not included in her 2022 budget as secretary of education, her use of it was constitutional because it is the confidential funds of the President, and the latter has authorized her to use a portion of it for the purpose for which such funds were intended when passed by Congress — hence it is constitutional.

The leftist, convicted party-list representative whose conviction is pending appeal, who was obsessed with questioning VP Sara on the fund's disbursements with the able assistance of the presiding committee chair — who incidentally is being bashed by netizens as she goes under the radar of a lifestyle check, exposing what the netizens think to be a sudden and unexplained ostentatious display and wearing of very expensive branded clothes, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, shoes and bags, running into millions of pesos, which according to observers may not be commensurate to her income as a member of Congress and previously as a former teacher — was flustered and frustrated in her desire to embarrass VP Sara with a notice of disallowance of the P74 million disbursement of the said confidential funds as the latter refused to engage her during the budget hearing.

VP Sara argued, correctly, that the 2025 budget for the OVP has no item for confidential funds; hence, it is irrelevant to any discussion. Moreover, as pointed out by former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), now district representative of Pampanga, the matter of the confidential funds has already been extensively discussed in the 2022 budget hearings with Congress in fact deciding to exclude it in the budget of the OVP which makes it a dead issue and should not be resurrected.

Moreover, the notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit (CoA) is not yet final and discussing it is premature.

Being a lawyer, VP Sara reminded the non-lawyers in the congressional committee that the constitutionality of the confidential funds is pending before the Supreme Court and, therefore, sub judice and not appropriate for discussion.

The committee chairman — whose teaching and debating experience is pitifully deficient in providing a tit-for-tat response to the spunky second-highest official of the land — could only grope for words. She was obviously rattled and dazzled by the wit and wisdom of the peppery vice president.

In another committee hearing, the former educator looked perplexed and bewildered as she tried vainly and desperately twisted her head left and right, looking for a prompter to help her answer the pointed questions from an obviously prepared colleague on a subject she was clueless about.

She was in a state of unknowing and uttered incomprehensible replies that further undressed her nescience.

In contrast, VP Sara was in her element, beaming with confidence as she unleashed a barrage of principled philosophy and conviction.

Before the congressional committee, she calmly delivered a thunderbolt of an opening statement that reverberated throughout the archipelago:

"What we are witnessing now is no ordinary legislative inquiry.

This exercise is a well-funded and coordinated political attack.

This much is evident from the very words of the privilege speech that prompted this inquiry.

A speech that simply meant to say, 'Do not vote for Sara in 2028.'

It is clear to me that this inquiry is not about misused funds, accountability or governance; instead, it is solely aimed at discrediting my name and my office to prevent future political contest. xxx

Sa totoo lang, hindi naman ang budget ang pinupuntirya ninyo dahil napakadali naman ng pag tanggal ng budget. xxxx.

What you are trying to do is to make a case for impeachment. xxx.

Hindi ako ang problema ng bayang Ito. Ang totoong problema ng bayan ay kagutuman, kahirapan, iligal na droga, kriminalidad, terorismo, hindi sapat na health care, kalidad na edukasyon kawalan ng plano ng infra istraktura para sa disasters, at marami pang iba."

As a coup de grace, VP Sara, with unmistakable clarity and luminous certainty, ended her portentous speech:

"So, you may try to destroy me; you can skin me alive and throw my ashes to the wind, but let it be known — you will find me unbowed.

I will continue to serve the Filipino people no matter the personal cause or political intrigue.

Having said that, I will not allow myself to be subjected to an inquiry based on an empty privilege speech just so you can attack me and do indirectly what you failed to do directly during the budget hearing."

VP Sara has crossed the Rubicon.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/09/23/opinion/columns/vp-sara-hits-back/1973360

 

 

[Old55]

Add drama queen to that long list of BS.

[Jack Peterson]

8 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Add drama queen to that long list of BS.

 Looking for the Sympathy votes methinks 

Edited September 23 by Jack Peterson
added a word

[baronapart]

Demure? I just remember when she punched that Davao government worker in the face. She may be a lot of things but demure isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

[Mike J]

21 hours ago, Lee said:

the demure, sweet but feisty when crossed or provoked, beautiful, unassuming, dedicated and incorruptible

About as demure and sweet as a pissed off badger. 

[JJReyes]

The Marcos-Duterte political alliance was agreed upon to make sure Bong-Bong Marcos would become president.  In exchange, the Marcos clan would support Sara Duterte's run for president in the next election six years later.  Side agreement was no extradition for her father who already had a warrant for his arrest.  The problem is someone in the Marcos camp wants to run for president, creating friction and disillusionment of the original agreement.  It's a fight which at the moment seems to favor the incumbent.

[JasonK]

I am sure this has bene brougt up before, why mess around with their politics?  First, its not our country.  Second, and I have never heard of this happening, but it can get you in trouble with the BI.  

Just my 2 cents

[Mike J]

2 minutes ago, JasonK said:

I am sure this has bene brougt up before, why mess around with their politics?  First, its not our country.  Second, and I have never heard of this happening, but it can get you in trouble with the BI.  

Just my 2 cents

I think opinions are okay, getting "involved" in politics could very well lead to trouble for expats.

[JJReyes]

9 hours ago, Mike J said:

9 hours ago, JasonK said:

I am sure this has bene brougt up before, why mess around with their politics?  First, its not our country.  Second, and I have never heard of this happening, but it can get you in trouble with the BI.  

Just my 2 cents

I think opinions are okay, getting "involved" in politics could very well lead to trouble for expats.

Don't attend political rallies, unless you are a journalist.  Don't donate money, goods or services to a political party.  Don't say anything derogatory in media about specific politicians.  

[Jack Peterson]

1 minute ago, JJReyes said:

unless you are a journalist.

 They get killed remember.