Vice President Sara Duterte emphasized that she is not a “spoiled brat,” as some congressmen have suggested.
This statement followed her recent appearance in a congressional hearing, where she refrained from directly answering many of the lawmakers’ questions.
Duterte stated that calling her a “bratinella” was part of the attacks against her, merely because the House members did not receive the answers they were hoping for.
“I am not a ‘bratinella’ or spoiled brat because people have known me since my days in Davao, from when I was mayor to becoming Vice President. The public knows that I have never abused my power or authority in any of the offices I have held,” said VP Duterte.
Her responses during the deliberation of the proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President had attracted significant attention.
“I would like to forgo the opportunity to defend the budget in a question and answer format. I would leave it to the House to decide on the budget submitted,” VP Duterte repeatedly responded to inquiries regarding the proposed funding for the following year.
For the vice president, allowing the congressmen to decide on her office’s budget does not make her a spoiled brat.
She suggested that perhaps some House members are simply unaccustomed to not receiving the responses they expect from their resource person.
“I think some members of the House of Representatives are just not used to not getting the answers they want or hearing what they expect, and some of our representatives are unaccustomed to having their remarks responded to directly,” the vice president added.