Philippines VP Sara Duterte’s children’s book sparks controversy over misuse of funds

A book written by Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte sparked controversy after a senator questioned the use of taxpayer funds for its printing

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A book written by the Philippines’ Vice President, Sara Duterte, has sparked controversy after a senator questioned the use of taxpayer funds for its printing. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:38pm, 23 Aug 2024

A children’s book about friendship written by Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio triggered a very hostile exchange with an opposition senator, accusing her of misappropriating funds for wanting the state to pay for copies of the book.

Critics contend that the vice-president’s book – Isang Kaibigan, which means “one friend” – is a form of “political propaganda” and that Duterte-Carpio, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, may be motivated by a need to strengthen her plummeting approval ratings as her family prepares to battle President Ferdinand Marcos, Jnr and his coalition in next year’s midterm elections following their own alliance’s bitter dissolution.

During a national budget hearing in the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked the vice-president about an allocation of 10 million pesos (US$177,000) from her office to print 200,000 copies of a children’s book she wrote in 2023.

Hontiveros described the request as “improper”, saying taxpayer money should not be used for a book that a public official wrote that would benefit her politically.

Hontiveros also suggested that since a large portion – 1.9 billion of the 2.037 billion pesos of the vice-president’s office budget – is meant for handing out socioeconomic aid, which other agencies were already doing, it would be better to reallocate those funds, so the vice-president can simply refer those in need to them.

Duterte-Carpio hit back, justifying running her own aid programme by saying that other agencies had rejected her funds because she was “a [political] enemy of the government” of President Marcos, Jnr.