Groups bewailed more “squid tactics” displayed by Sara Duterte at the budget deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) 2026 budget.

Kabataan Party Rep. Renee Co slammed Duterte’s “troll behavior” over corruption issues as the vice president asked if the youth representative is related to controversial Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co instead of directly answering queries.

“How are the foreign trips of flight and staff and security accommodations of the OVP funded?” Renee Co asked Duterte, who instead asked back: “Is Rep. Co cousins with Zaldy Co? I wish to know, are they cousins?”

“I have no familial relations to Rep. Zaldy Co or any other their relatives,” the youth representative retorted.

In a statement after the hearing was adjourned, Renee Co said Duterte’s reply was “nonsense,” reminiscent of the vice president’s refusal to explain how her office “misspent” tens of millions of confidential and intelligence funds in 2023.

Former ACT Teachers’ Rep. France Castro dubbed Duterte’s non-sequitur replies in last year’s budget hearings as “squid tactics.”

In her statement, Renee Co asked Duterte: “How about you? How are you related to Mary Grace Piattos?” mentioning a red-flagged name in the vice-president report of so-called confidential fund recipients.

The Kabataan representative further pointed out that Duterte has yet to satisfactorily explain how the P125 was spent in mere 11 days late in 2023.

“Squid tactics. All intrigue. She may have attended the hearing, but she only behaved like a troll,” Co fumed.

Meanwhile, anti-corruption group Bantay Budget slammed the House of Representatives (HOR) Committee on Appropriations for treating Duterte with kid gloves at today’s budget hearing.

“It is shameful that members of the HOR acted like puppets and refused to ask Duterte on important issues,” Bantay Budget convenor and Makabayan president Liza Maza said.

“We assail both members of the majority and minority who were silent during the  proceedings and did not raise the issues that were flagged in past committee hearings,” she added.

The Bantay Budget convenor noted that it was only the Makabayan bloc, composed of ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Atty. Renee Louise Co, who pressed the vice president on critical issues including the festering P125 million confidential funds issue.

“The people deserve answers on how their tax money is being spent,” Maza said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)