President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asserted on Wednesday that the House hearing on the budget of the Office of the Vice President was not politically motivated.

“This is a budget hearing, a routine process that every government agency undergoes annually. It’s purely procedural and has nothing to do with politics,” Marcos said in an interview, refuting Vice President Sara Duterte’s allegation the hearing on the OVP’s budget was being politicized.

Marcos emphasized that budget deliberations were a standard procedure conducted by Congress to review the financial requirements of all government agencies, including the OVP.

“It’s a standard practice for the House and Senate to gather information on what the budgets will entail,” he explained. “So, it’s far removed from politics.”

The debate over the OVP’s 2025 budget intensified when Senator Risa Hontiveros clashed with Duterte over a proposed P10 million allocation in the outlay.