MANILA, Philippines — The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on Wednesday, September 18, deliberates on a privilege speech that assails Vice President Sara Duterte's failure to cooperate in explaining how her office is utilizing the public funds.
Privilege speech No. 379 on "Asserting Power of the Purse" of Congress was delivered on the floor last September 3 by Rep. Rolando Valeriano (Manila, 2nd Direct).
The House panel, lower chamber’s counterpart to the Senate blue ribbon committee, which is chaired by Rep. Joel Chua, is leading the initial deliberation and the preliminary determination of the privilege speech.
In his privilege speech on Wednesday, Chua reiterates the budget process and the impact of governmental powers.
He cited the Section 24 of the Article VI of the Constitution which states that: "All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of public debt, bills of local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.”
"The power of the purse directly affects the lives of the people. We, the legislature, assumes the role of formulating spending and taxing policies – saan huhugutin at paano gagastusin. Ang gastusin ng gobyerno at ang buwis na ipinapataw sa mamamayang Pilipino upang suportahan ang mga gastusing ito ang nagdidikta kung saan ito ilalaan na siyang nakakaapekto sa galaw at paglago ng ekonomiya. Ito rin ang paraan upang magkaroon ng income redistribution," Chua said.
(The power of the purse directly affects the lives of the people. We, the legislature, assumes the role of formulating spending and taxing policies – where to get it at how it will be spent. The government expenditure and the taxes imposed on Filipinos to support these expenditures dictates where the budget should be allocated that impacts the movement and growth of the economy. This is also the way to have income redistribution)
"May apat na parte sa budget process (There are fourt parts of budget process) : 1) preparation, 2) legislation, 3) execution, and 4) accountability," the lawmaker added.
Duterte is present in the deliberation.
Watch the panel discussion here.