OVP skips budget hearing; Sara to face House panel next week

The deliberation on the 2026 proposed budget of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office has been moved to Tuesday after the House committee on appropriations didn’t allow anyone other than a senior official to defend their requested allocation.

In a letter submitted to the committee, the OVP designated certain representatives to attend the budget hearing, with the letter signed by OVP Director of Administrative and Financial Services Lemuel Ortonio.

However, panel vice chair Jose Alvarez said Ortonio is assistant chief of staff and not an undersecretary-level officer.

Citing Congress’ longstanding practice, Alvarez said it was his call to recommend that the OVP skip the budget hearing.

“Knowing that and consistent with the tradition of the House, that it’s either the head of agency or at the very least, an undersecretary who should defend the budget of the agency, and noting the inconsistency in the letter, I myself advised them to refrain from attending if Usec. Zuleika Lopez is not present,” he told the panel.

VP to face House

Nonetheless, the lawmaker noted that, “I was assured that the vice president will be present herself on Tuesday.”

The OVP is also scheduled to defend its proposed budget in the Senate on Monday.

Last year, the OVP also skipped the second round of the budget hearing in the House following a word war with panel members — questioning her office’s budget utilization and confidential funds—that resulted in OVP’s budget cut from P2.037 billion to P733.198 million.

Parliamentary courtesy

Before the committee reached a consensus to defer the OVP’s budget deliberations, Davao Rep. Isidro Ungab — a key ally of the Dutertes — requested that the VP be extended parliamentary courtesy on Tuesday.

Parliamentary courtesy is also part of Congress’ tradition in which legislators refrain from questioning the budget of a high-ranking office, like the Office of the President and the OVP, out of respect.

However, Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio strongly objected to Ungab, asserting that Duterte should not be given a free pass, citing the need to scrutinize the OVP’s spending given that the VP is frequently abroad.

“This is not the time for parliamentary courtesy. The President himself said, ‘Have some shame!’ So everyone should be ashamed, including the president and vice president,” Tinio countered. “That tradition should be scrapped.”

Consequently, Tinio dared Duterte to waive parliamentary courtesy on Tuesday and respond to the queries of lawmakers.