ML Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima Dismayed over VP Sara Duterte’s Absence at House Plenary Deliberation of OVP’s Proposed Budget
LEILA DE LIMA – The former Senator suggested budget cuts for the office of Vice President Sara Duterte in 2026.
After Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously went solo to the budget hearing set by the House of Representatives, the Vice President skipped the recent plenary deliberation of her office’s proposed budget in the lower chamber. The Office of the Vice President is asking for a P902.9 million budget for next year.
According to the House of Representatives, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte skipped the plenary deliberations after the chamber refused to give in to the conditions she set for her attendance. The Vice President wants the chamber to demand the attendance of Pres. Bongbong Marcos to the House plenary deliberations of his office’s proposed budget for 2026.
The Office of the President is seeking for a P27 billion budget for next year. It has the lion’s share as well as the proposed confidential and intelligence funds for next year.
Aside from urging the President to attend the House plenary deliberations of his office’s proposed budget, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also wanted proof of the lifting of the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) on some personnel of the OVP. The ILBO was previously implemented amid the questions on the office’s spending of the P625 million confidential funds.
In her letter to the House, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte expressed her desire for the lifting of the ILBO on:
- OVP Chief-of-Staff Zuleika T. Lopez
- Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio
- Director, Administrative and Financial Services Office Rosalynne Sanchez
- Director, Strategy Management Office Sunshine Charry Fajarda
- OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta
- Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey
- Special Disbursement Officer Edward Fajarda
The House of Representatives did not give in to the demands of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and she skipped the House plenary deliberations. Several members of the lower chamber including former Sen. Leila de Lima who is now the representative of the Mamamayang Liberal Partylist is one of them.
Based on a report on PhilStar, Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima suggested a budget cut for the office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte following her absence at the House plenary deliberation of the OVP’s proposed budget. The former Senator who was a staunch critic of the Duterte administration said the House may even consider a zero budget allocation but the fund for the personnel and basic operations must remain.
At the Senate hearing of the OVP’s proposed budget, Senator Jinggoy Estrada suggested giving Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office the budget insertions of the senators — seemingly a swipe taken against Sen. Ping Lacson who revealed that almost all senators in the 19th Congress have budget insertions.