OVP spox: No confidential funds in 2026 OVP budget

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will not be requesting confidential funds in its proposed P903-million budget for 2026, newly appointed spokesperson Ruth Castelo confirmed on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters during a press briefing at the OVP, Castelo emphasized that the 2026 budget proposal carries no line item for confidential or intelligence funds.

“There are no confidential funds. We didn’t request any,” Castelo said. “If anyone decides to allocate it, that’s their call.”

Initially, the OVP submitted a proposed budget of P733 million to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), maintaining the same level as this year’s allocation. However, the DBM made an upward adjustment, increasing the proposed figure by around P60 million. According to Castelo, the OVP later submitted an addendum, requesting additional funding primarily for personnel services and IT equipment to improve office functions.

“Naturally, these come with a cost... The final amount approved by DBM was P903 million.”

The bulk of the increase, Castelo explained, will go toward salaries for new hires and operational enhancements.

The OVP’s budget has become a flashpoint in political discourse in recent years, especially after it received P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 — which critics noted was spent in a matter of days.

The proposed budget will undergo scrutiny in the upcoming budget hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate.