Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and the Makabayan bloc sought a substantial cut in the P903-million proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2026 after Vice President Sara Duterte snubbed the House plenary budget deliberations.
On Thursday, Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez, who was assigned to sponsor the OVP’s proposed budget, informed the plenary that not a single official of the OVP was present to defend its proposed budget.
Duterte is reportedly in Cebu attending to earthquake victims.
Alvarez told the plenary that Duterte forwarded to him a letter addressed to Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, where the Vice President listed two conditions for her to attend the budget deliberations.
‘I am seeking the following: 1. The House of Representatives demand the attendance of President Marcos for the P27.3-billion budget deliberations of the Office of the President,’ Duterte said.
She added that she will attend ‘if the committee on good government and public accountability will produce before the plenary schedule, a Department of Justice document confirming that the immigration lookout bulletin order for OVP personnel, namely Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez, Lemuel Ortonio, Atty. Rosalynne Sanchez, Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Gina Acosta, Julieta Villadelrey and Edward Farjarda, is lifted.’
In response, De Lima said Duterte’s precondition is a disrespect and an insult to the House.
‘Enough is enough, I rise today to express my displeasure, and in due time I will move for the decrease of the budget of the OVP,’ she added.
De Lima said that initially she thought of moving to give the OVP zero budget, but in consideration and out of respect to the OVP’s personnel and staff, she will just propose a substantial cut.
‘Why can she not spare a few moments of her time attending to her official functions as Vice President, to defend the budget of her office? Enough is enough of her brattiness,’ De Lima said.
Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio also expressed his dismay over Duterte’s attitude toward the House.
‘I condemn the disrespect of the Vice President to the people, while she expects to get the big budget of the OVP for 2026,’ he said.
Tinio vowed to push for a significant reduction in the OVP’s 2026 budget, cutting it from P902 million to P198 million.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co also said she will move for the reduction of the OVP’s proposed budget at the proper time.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in an interview with One PH that employees of the OVP may be affected if Duterte continues to refuse to defend the OVP 2026 budget.
‘If she doesn’t want to show up in the plenary debate, that’s up to her… That’s her responsibility because it’s the Office of the Vice President and many people, staff rely on her,’ she said.