Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Appears at Senate for Budget Hearing
SARA DUTERTE – The Senate panel swiftly approved the P902.9-million proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2026.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are currently on the process of checking the budget proposals of the different offices and agencies under the government for 2026. For next year, the Office of the Vice President is asking for a P902.895 million budget.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office previously claimed that they are ready to defend their proposed budget for 2026 and the OVP also hopes that it will not be reduced. It stressed that a bigger budget will mean more programs and projects.
The claim of the OVP came after Vice Pres. Sara Duterte expressed her expectation that the OVP’s proposed budget will be reduced citing that she is not an ally of the administration. According to the Vice President, the President and the House Speaker are still the same people.
In the proposed budget of the OVP amounting to P902.895 million, Vice Pres. Duterte’s office did not include a request for confidential and intelligence funds. The OVP also removed the budget allocation for the Vice President’s book entitled “Isang Kaibigan”.
Duterte was previously criticized over the P10 million budget request for the book Isang Kaibigan which was written by the Vice President herself. Currently, she also remains to be surrounded by allegations of misused confidential funds.
Today, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte arrived at the Senate for the budget hearing of the proposed fund of her office for 2026. Based on a report on GMA News, the proposed budget of the OVP amounting to P902.895 million was swiftly approved by the upper chamber.
Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri made the motion to extend parliamentary courtesy to the Office of the Vice President. According to him, the proposed fund of the OVP for 2026 was allegedly “lean and mean” already.
Sen. Bato dela Rosa seconded the motion of Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri after several other senators expressed support on the motion. Based on the report, the motion was approved by Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian.
Previously, the Vice President also attended the House of Representatives’ OVP budget hearing. During the House OVP budget hearing, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte asked an unexpected question.