MANILA, Phiiippines – Vice President Sara Duterte is in favor of punishing public officials and contractors of ghost and substandard flood control projects, as well as imposing lifestyle checks on public officials.
In an interview with supporters led by former presidential spokesman Harry Roque at The Hague, The Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon (local time), Duterte said that the Commission on Audit has the power to investigate projects that have issues based on their own audit or the investigation of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Duterte, alongside her elder brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo, younger brother Davao Acting Mayor Sebastian, and youngest sister Veronica, were in the Scheveningen Prison to visit their father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.
Duterte also said that the public should not stop with flood control projects and urged them to focus on the school building program, which she said was divided by the members of the House of Representatives.
“I have already mentioned this last year that the school building program of the Department of Education, the House membership has divided [its budget] but nobody reacted and until now no one is speaking or investigating, it’s not just flood control,” Duterte said.
“Diretso nilang kinuha ang School Building Program at pinag hati-hatian nila sa loob ng house of representatives at dinineretso nilang inattach yung listahan nila doon sa GAA (General Appropriations Act) House version at inakyat nila sa Senate (They took [the funds] from the school building program and divided it at the House of Representatives and inserted the list in the House version of the General Appropriations Act and they inserted it in the Senate,” she added.
She also said that she agreed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on lifestyle checks for both elected and public officials.
“Hindi lang yung on the surface na sasabihin kung ano yung nakalagay sa SALN, Dapat deep dive, kung sino yung mga dummy, ilabas yung mga dummy ng public officials (They should not investigate what was written in the SALN, it should be a deep dive, including revealing those who are the dummies of public officials),” Duterte said.
