NATION

House ends OVP budget debate without questions

Jerod Orcullo · Sep 22, 2026, 11:48 AM

VICE President Sara Duterte — Photo courtesy of Inday Sara Duterte/FB

The House of Representatives on Tuesday terminated plenary deliberations on the proposed P785.2-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2027 without questions or objections from lawmakers.

As the chamber resumed deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio moved to terminate discussions after no members of the minority bloc sought to interpellate on the OVP spending plan.

The motion was seconded by members of the majority, prompting Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega to close the period of debate.

“The termination of the budget [deliberations] of the Office of the Vice President is now approved,” Ortega said after hearing no objections.

The OVP is seeking P785.204 million in agency-specific appropriations for 2027, about 11.7 percent lower than its P889.236-million appropriation for 2026.

Unlike the plenary deliberations, the OVP faced questions from Tinio and other lawmakers during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing earlier this month after a proposal to extend parliamentary courtesy to the office was set aside. OVP Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez represented the office and answered lawmakers' questions during the committee hearing.

Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez, who sponsored the OVP budget in plenary, said the earlier committee scrutiny left lawmakers with little more to ask.

“They asked about everything during the briefing, and the budget you really have nothing to ask because from P900 million it became P800 million…there’s nothing to ask, all of the programs were there,” Alvarez told reporters.

Lopez, however, was absent from Tuesday's plenary proceedings. Alvarez said she had submitted a medical certificate two days earlier and was in an emergency room.

The proposed P785.2-million allocation does not include confidential funds. Programs proposed for funding include the Pagbabago Campaign, disaster operations, R.I.I.C.E. Food Bags, Libreng Sakay and other assistance programs.