Sara skips hearing, OVP funding passes

The Office of the Vice President’s proposed P785.20-million budget for 2027 swiftly cleared a Senate panel on Tuesday after senators allied with Vice President Sara Duterte moved to extend parliamentary courtesy to the second-highest agency, wrapping up the proceedings in just 15 minutes.

This came despite Duterte’s no-show at the hearing, the first time she skipped budget proceedings in the upper chamber, where she also faces an impeachment trial.

Senate President Win Gatchalian flagged her absence, noting that Congress has long had a tradition of agency heads personally defending their yearly budgets before lawmakers.

“May I know where the Vice President is? Traditionally, with budget deliberations, the head of office comes here to defend their budget. You know that. You’ve been here for the last four years,” Gatchalian asked OVP Chief of Staff, Zuleika Lopez.

“Even last year, when I was the chairman of the finance committee, the Vice President took time to come here to defend their budget. So may I know, for the record, where is our Vice President?” he pressed further.

Lopez said the VP was in her hometown in Davao City, representing her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, at the interment of a former city government official.

Senator Imee Marcos moved to dispense with the OVP’s budget and endorse it for plenary consideration, citing parliamentary courtesy. Senator Bong Go, also allied with the VP, seconded the motion.

Parliamentary courtesy is a tradition in Congress in which legislators refrain from questioning the budget of a co-equal branch, such as the executive, bypassing the grueling interrogation applied to lower agencies.

Lawmakers typically extend it to the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President, although neither office is required to maintain it.

Recall that in 2024, Duterte and the rest of her staff also skipped the second round of the budget hearing at the committee level in the House of Representatives after the VP sparred with lawmakers questioning her office’s budget utilization and confidential funds, which led to the OVP’s budget cut from P2.037 billion to P733.198 million.

Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito subsequently approved the termination of the proceedings, although Gatchalian said he expects Duterte to attend the upcoming budget deliberations to personally defend the agency’s allocation during the plenary session.

Similarly, Ejercito said it would be best for Duterte to appear during the plenary session.

However, he noted that senators would likely “understand” if she skipped it, given the “awkwardness” of the situation as she faces trial in the Senate.

The Department of Budget and Management recommended a P785.2-million budget for the OVP, 11 percent lower than its current P889-million allocation.

Despite budget cuts in recent years, the OVP said its “Libreng Sakay” program remains operational, with nine buses deployed across various regions, including Metro Manila, Bacolod, Cebu City, Davao and Tacloban.

Similarly, its “PagbaBAGo” campaign is reportedly on track to provide essential school supplies to 1 million learners by 2028.