Nagkainitan sina Vice President Sara Duterte at ACT Teacher’s party-list Rep. France Castro sa isinagawang pagdinig ng House of Representatives nitong Martes, Agosto 27.

Sa pagdinig tungkol sa budget ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) para sa 2025, nagtanong si Castro kay Duterte tungkol sa paggamit ng confidential funds ng OVP noong 2022, ngunit hindi ito sinagot ng huli.

"Madam Chair [Stella Quimbo], I do not understand, bakit, a person convicted of child abuse is still sitting in a seat in the House of the Representatives?" pagkwestiyon ni Duterte. 

"Ito 'yung sinasabi natin na dina-divert ang usapan sa ating budget hearing, kung nagawa po niya 'yan sa Senado Madam Chair dapat hindi natin 'yan pahintulutan dito sa ating Kamara," pagsingit na sagot ni Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

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Gayunman, ipinagpatuloy pa rin ang pagtatanong ni Castro sa bise presidente.

"Madam Chair, I still request for the rules of the budget hearings... Okay gusto mo sagutin ko ma'am?" ani Duterte

"This is a hearing for the budget for 2025. Saan dito ang confidential funds? 'Yung tanong niya confidential funds, nasaan dito?" dagdag pa niya. 

Sagot naman ni Castro, "Madam Chair, sa rule naman natin lahat dito tinatanong 'no so according to the budget whether it is in the past kasi nakikita natin 'yung utilization noong mga budget kahit na 'yung past years ay pwede nating busisiin dito, Madam Chair."

Sumang-ayon naman si Quimbo sa sinabi ni Castro, kung kaya't pinasasagot niya ulit si Duterte.

"'Yun nga ang sagot ko, ma'am. Nasaan ang topic natin dito at ang pina-submit n'yo sa amin is the budget proposal of 2025. Where in the budget proposal of 2025 is the item confidential funds?... The topic is the 2025 budget proposal," ani Duterte. 

"Madam Chair, why are we discussing the budget of the 2023 and 2024?" dagdag pa ng bise presidente.

Matatandaang nito lang Hulyo, hinatulang “guilty” ng Tagum City Regional Trial Court Branch 2 sina Castro, dating Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo at iba pa ng paglabag sa Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act kaugnay ng kasong isinampa laban sa kanila noong 2018.

BASAHIN: Rep. Castro, Ex-Rep. Ocampo at iba pa, hinatulang guilty ng 'child abuse'

Naglabas naman ng joint statement sina Casto at Ocampo patungkol dito.

“The decision of the Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court Branch 2 wrongfully convicting us, the eight teachers of the Salugpungan Ta 'Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center and the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao, and two from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, is unacceptable and unjust,” saad nina Castro at Ocampo sa kanilang joint statement.

“This wrongful conviction speaks of the continuing persecution of those who are helping and advocating for the rights of Lumad children and the persistent attacks on Lumad schools and communities,” dagdag pa.

BASAHIN: 'Unacceptable, unjust!' Castro at Ocampo, pinalagan paghatol sa kanila ng 'child abuse'