MANILA – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s controversial “Isang Kaibigan” children’s book has good intentions.
OVP spokesperson Atty. Michael Wesley Poa said Duterte-Carpio’s book was launched in November last year and used as a teaching tool to encourage reading.
“The very purpose of the book is reading and to be honest, pagdating sa larangan ng budget, I think there’s a bigger discourse than just the book,” Poa said in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo. “Maganda naman ang hangarin ng libro.”
“Itong book na ito ay parte po ito ng Pagbabago bags, ito ‘yung schoolbags na binibigay natin sa ating mga learners. May laman na school supplies and dental kits. Isasama na rin next year ‘yung libro,” he added.
The OVP is requesting a P10-million allocation in the 2025 national budget for the publication of “Isang Kaibigan” that will be distributed to the learners.
The Vice President’s book was just one of the topics tackled during Tuesday’s budget hearing at the Senate, with Duterte-Carpio and Sen. Risa Hontiveros trading barbs over the OVP’s proposed budget.
During the hearing, Duterte-Carpio criticized Hontiveros’ line of questioning as an example of politicking and said she will send a copy of the book to the senator.
Hontiveros, however, countered that she was just asking about the contents of the book since the OVP was asking the government to fund its printing and distribution using taxpayers’ money./PN
