Senator Risa Hontiveros plans to request the reallocation of "inappropriate" P10 million funds for the book "A Friend" in the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) budget proposal for 2025. Hontiveros questions the appropriate use of government funding for a book written by Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a news briefing on Wednesday, August 22, Hontiveros said, "If you wrote a book and you are the author, its distribution should not be financed by government funds and taxpayers' money." When asked if he will block the funding for this project, Hontiveros confirmed that he will continue to move the funding to another project.
The proposed budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025, amounting to PHP 2.037 billion—a 8.05% increase from 2024—has been approved by the Senate finance panel, with Senator Grace Poe recommending its discussion in the plenary. However, Senator Risa Hontiveros raised concerns about the funding for the "Isang Kaibigan" program during a Senate hearing on August 20. Instead of addressing her concerns, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. accused Hontiveros of politicizing the hearing.
The "Isang Kaibigan" is part of the OVP's flagship program, the "PagbaBAGo Campaign," which aims to distribute the book to one million beneficiaries. The 16-page book published by the OVP tells the story of Kwago, who, after a storm, is helped by his friend Loro to rebuild his nest. The book highlights the value of true friendship, and on the author's page, it emphasizes Duterte’s political roles, concluding with the line, "He is a true friend."
During the Senate budget hearing, Duterte expressed frustration that his role as the author could be seen as an attempt to gain favor with the parents of the book recipients.
