The proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) breezed through the Senate’s plenary on Thursday, gaining approval in less than five minutes.
The OVP budget was immediately approved, with no questions asked, in view of parliamentary courtesy given to a co-equal branch of the government.
It was Sen. JV Ejercito who made the motion. No objections were made upon Ejercito’s move.
But prior approval of the budget, known-Duterte ally Sen. Robinhood Padilla stood up to manifest his support for the OVP’s proposed funding.
‘Ako po ay natutuwa sapagkat dito sa ating bulwagan ay atin pong hindi binawasan ang budget ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo bagkus ay dinagdagan. Sapagkat alam niyo po, sa akin pong karanasan sa tuwing may darating na kalamidad, kalungkutan, kamatayan [ay] nandyan po lagi ang ating Pangalawang Pangulo upang makiramay, tumulong-kahit saan pong lupalop sa Pilipinas makikita po natin ang opisina ng pangalawang Pangulo,’
(I am pleased because here in our chamber, we did not reduce the budget of our Vice President; instead, we increased it. Because, as you know, in my experience, whenever calamities, sorrow, or death occur, our Vice President is always there to offer condolences and help-wherever in the Philippines you may be, you will see the office of the Vice President present)
‘Ako po ay masaya at nagpapasalamat sa ating mga kasama. Maraming salamat po at hindi po nagmula sa ating bulwagan ang pang-iipit sa ating pangalawang Pangulo,’ he added.
(I am happy and grateful to our colleagues. Thank you very much, and I am glad that the constraint or pressure against our Vice President did not come from this chamber)
The proposed 2026 budget of OVP amounts to P889 million. It can be recalled, however, that the House of Representatives has already passed a reduced budget of P733.2 million.
Vice President Sara Duterte personally attended the Senate’s session when her office’s budget was presented.
‘Next year na’
Shortly after the presentation of the budget in the plenary session, Duterte herself faced the media for a press conference. She, however, refused to answer media queries and opted to dodge political questions.
‘Thank you, next year na,’ she simply told reporters when she was asked to comment on resigned Zaldy Co’s statements supposedly linking President Bongbong Marcos to the anomalous flood control scandal.
This was also her answer when she was pressed to disclose whether or not her readiness to become Marcos’s successor as president was a political destabilization.
Instead of addressing media queries, Duterte wished the media a merry Christmas and a happy new year. ‘And I wish you good health in the year 2026. We’d like to thank the Senate of the Philippines for approving the OVP year 2026 budget,’ she said.