House Committee on Human Rights Chairperson Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. has challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to provide evidence supporting her claim that lawmakers allegedly divided among themselves the funds for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) school building program.
The Vice President earlier alleged that members of the House of Representatives directly handled the program’s allocation but noted that no lawmaker has spoken up or launched an inquiry into the matter.
Abante stressed that such serious accusations should not be made without presenting proof. He added that Congress is prepared to investigate the issue once proper documentation or evidence is given, noting that the chamber has an oversight committee tasked to examine such concerns.
The veteran legislator also underscored that Congress holds the constitutional “power of the purse,” which allows lawmakers to carefully review and scrutinize the national budget before approving it.
