FOR the third time, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte on Thursday failed to appear at the plenary debates on the proposed P902.03-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2026, instead setting two conditions before agreeing to face lawmakers.
Duterte named the two demands in a letter dated September 30, 2025, addressed to House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing and read on the floor by Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez, sponsor of the OVP budget.
‘The House of Representatives demands the attendance of President Marcos for the 27.3-billion pesos budget deliberation of the Office of the President,’ Duterte demanded.
Duterte also demanded that the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability produce a Department of Justice (DOJ) certification confirming the lifting of the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against seven OVP personnel, namely, Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez, Mr. Lemuel G. Ortonio, Atty. Rosnelne L. Sanchez, Atty. Francis Chanray A. Fajarda, Ms. Gina E. Austero, Ms. Julieta L. Villadiego, and Mr. Edward D. Fajarda.
‘Mr. Speaker, there is no one from the Office of the Vice President, and I am prepared to stand alone here and stand for the budget of the OVP,’ Alvarez said on the plenary floor, stressing that the committee had given Duterte’s office ‘utmost respect’ in the budget process. He added that the committee will no longer respond to Duterte’s letter, calling October 2 the ‘last day’ for deliberations.
Blatant insult
Opposition lawmakers did not hold back their criticism and vowed to push for the reduction of the OVP budget.
Rep. Leila de Lima of the Mamamayang Liberal Party List denounced Duterte’s repeated absences as a blatant insult to the constitutional budget process.
‘Disrespecting the budgetary process of this body is a clear case of disrespect of our Constitution,’ de Lima said. ‘If she can afford to show up at the Senate and applaud a privileged speech, why can she not spare a few moments to defend the budget of her office? Enough is enough. Enough of her brattiness.’
De Lima said she intends to move for a reduction of the OVP’s budget, sparing only funds for Personal Services (PS) and maintenance and operating expenses (MOOE) while scrapping allocations for operational programs.
ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio echoed the sentiment, stressing that the issue was not political grandstanding but accountability.
‘I condemn her disrespect toward the people for not even showing up to take responsibility,’ Tinio said, vowing to file a motion to slash the OVP’s budget and retain only the funds needed for employees’ salaries.