The bulk of the attention given to the 2024 budget hearings have been on the Office of the Vice President. Representative Sandro Marcos moved to end the hearing and deliberations which set off a firestorm of protest. It was seen as an outrageous move to protect Sara Duterte from having to explain her use of Confidential funds.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/08/30/2292535/ovp-budget-escapes-scrutiny-after-house-panel-swiftly-ends-deliberations |
However there is even more egregious instances of protection going on in the House budget hearings.
Deputy Speaker Frasco has asked his colleagues to go easy during the Department of Tourism budget hearings because the DOT secretary is his wife!
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/20/how-much-do-you-love-your-wife-deputy-speaker-frasco-asks-house-colleagues-to-go-easy-on-dot-1 |
"Just for the record, Mr. Speaker, distinguished sponsor, yung ating deputy speaker po ay kanina pang lumalapit dito sa amin. Bilang pagmamahal daw niya sa secretary ng DOT, kung pwedeng igsian namin ang aming tanong at wag pahirapan ang Department of Tourism," Hataman said.
(Our deputy speaker have been approaching us. As a sign of his love for the secretary of DOT, he's asking if we could shorten our questions and not give the Department of Tourism a hard time.)
Hataman was referring to Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco, whose lovely wife is none other than the DOT chief.
"Nag-agree po ang minorya na pagbibigyan ang ating deputy speaker (The minority agreed to grant the deputy speaker's request)," the Mindanao lawmaker said.
That is outrageous. With such a conflict of interest he should have recused himself from the deliberations but instead he sought to influence them. Even more outrageous is this bold faced interference was not condemned by his colleagues!
But oh well that's how it is in the Philippines. There is corruption everywhere.
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