It was a perfectly legitimate question involving the judicious use of public funds. “Can you tell me about this book?” Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Vice President Sara Duterte last Tuesday at the hearing of the Senate finance committee on the P2-billion budget being sought for 2025 by the Office of the Vice President. In the OVP’s budget request, a children’s book titled “Isang Kaibigan” and authored by the Vice President needed funding of P10 million.
The book is reportedly read to grade school children as part of the Vice President’s storytelling activities. Launched last year, the book costs P50 each to produce, the OVP spokesman said, so P10 million would mean about 200,000 books to be distributed for free.
What’s so hard about telling this to senators scrutinizing a budget request? Is public funding for the Vice President above congressional scrutiny? Instead of answering a simple question, however, the Vice President accused Hontiveros of “politicizing” the budget hearing. Duterte then dredged up a purely political issue – that she had given in to Hontiveros’ appeals for Davao City’s support in the latter’s third bid for the Senate in 2016. When her father Rodrigo Duterte became president, however, Hontiveros became one of his vocal critics, the VP lamented.
After the hearing, the Vice President held a press conference wherein she claimed there are active efforts in the House of Representatives to impeach her and perpetuate unnamed persons in power. She said she did not plan to run for president in 2028. Several congressmen have denied any impeachment move.
Yesterday, another controversy added fuel to the fire: acclaimed writer Ninotchka Rosca posted that the “Isang Kaibigan” storyline and illustrations bore an uncanny resemblance to “Owly Just a Little Blue” – the second book in the Owly graphic novel series by Andy Runton. The OVP has denied accusations of plagiarism.
There are other questions that need to be answered, if only to prevent other government officials from thinking they enjoy free rein in undertaking tax-funded projects. Was the book properly vetted, in terms of content including grammar, for distribution to the target age group? Did the author get paid for her efforts? If the book printer is a private firm, did it go through public bidding for a supply contract with the Department of Education? Is the DepEd secretary authorized to put her face and name on an item procured through public funds, for distribution to state-run schools?
The national budget will still go through several steps before final approval. That P10 million for children’s books deserves proper scrutiny.