House panel defers discussion on proposed OVP budget for 2026

House appropriations panel defers deliberation on the proposed P889 million budget of OVP Duterte after VP Duterte assured them that she will attend the budget discussion on Sept. 16, Tuesday, says House appropriations panel vice chair and Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez @gmanews pic.twitter.com/kc6TstCrUc

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) September 12, 2025

The House appropriations panel deferred Friday's scheduled deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed P889 million budget for 2026 after it disallowed the agency from sending representatives whose ranks are lower than undersecretary. 

This was decided upon by the House appropriations panel presided over by its vice chairman, Palawan Representative Jose Alvarez, citing the prevailing practice where an undersecretary, at the very least, should be present to defend the subject agency's proposed budget. 

“Knowing that [they could not send an Undersecretary or the head of agency] and consistent with the tradition of the House na dapat head of agency or the very least Undersecretary ang pumunta rito to defend the budget of the agency...ako na mismo ang nag-advise sa kanila kaninang umaga na huwag na kayong pumunta rito,” Alvarez said.

(Knowing that they could not send an undersecretary or the head of agency and consistent with the tradition of the House that the head of agency or the very least, an undersecretary should go here to defend the budget of the agency, I myself advised them this morning that they should not proceed here.)

Alvarez said this response stemmed from a letter from the OVP sent to the House appropriations panel on Friday morning designating personnel to defend its proposed 2026 budget, with the letter signed by Director Administrative and Financial Services Lemuel Ortonio. 

“Dahil ganoon rin, kung wala si Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez,” Alvarez added, referring to the Vice President's chief-of-staff. 

Alvarez, however, said he was assured by Vice President Sara Duterte that she will attend the budget deliberations on Tuesday, September 16.

“I have the assurance of the VP na she will attend by next week. So if meron silang hearing sa Senado on Monday, Tuesday ang napili nila. Ganoon po ang istorya,” Alvarez said.

(So if they have a hearing at the Senate on Monday, they will come on Tuesday. That's the story.)

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice then put forward a motion moving the OVP proposed 2026 budget discussions on Tuesday, September 16, a motion approved by the committee.

‘Traditional courtesy’

House Deputy Minority Leader  Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party-list and House Assistant Minority Leader Renee Co of Kabataan party-list, in separate manifestations, underscored that the Vice President should stay true to her word that she will show up before House budget deliberations to answer queries.

Likewise, Tinio and Co said a traditional courtesy of terminating the budget deliberations with fielding questions should not be extended to the Vice President given that she has yet to answer a lot of her office’s budget disbursements, including her previous confidential fund allocation.

“The Vice President has not changed. Sa labas, sa media, panay ang pahayag na handa siyang ipagtanggol ang kanilang budget, na wala siyang tinatago, na handang humarap sa proper venue. Sa 2026 budget, walang ibang proper venue kung hindi ang committee na ito,” Tinio said.

(Outside Congress, before the media, she always says she is ready to defend their budget, that she is not hiding anything, that she will address queries before the proper venue. For the 2026 budget, there is no proper venue but this committee.)

“We were told she will show up. Well, para sa akin, to see is to believe. So hintayin natin 'yan. Sagutin niya ang mga tanong," Tinio added.

(We'll wait for her to show up.  She should answer questions.)

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, an ally of the Vice President, then said that courtesy is naturally extended to the Vice President to prevent an awkward situation wherein the Vice President will be questioned by public officials lower than her rank.

“The parliamentary courtesy is only granted at the committee level. Why It is really, I would say, awkward for a member of Congress to question a higher officer directly. But before the plenary, fielding questions is allowed because the question and answer will be between members of the House,” Ungab said.

Co, however, said the Vice President stands equal to the members of Congress since both the Vice President and lawmakers are elected by the people.

“We take exception to what was said about the Office of the President or Vice President being the higher office. We are living in exceptional times and exceptional times call for exceptional measures. The public is demanding answers as to how the government spends public funds, because it appears that sa iilan lang ang nagbubulsa nito,” Co, a lawyer, said, referring to the ongoing billions worth of flood control mess.

“Dapat mas proactive po tayo sa pagbusisi ng iba't ibang aspeto ng budget, especially na hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin nasasagot kung saan napupunta at nasaan ang confidential funds ni Vice President Dutertea at hindi po natin nakikita kung ano ang nagawa nito sa  taong bayan,” Co added.

(We must be proactive in scrutinizing the budget, especially now that she is yet to answer how she disbursed her confidential fund, and its benefits to public welfare, if there are any.)

Ungab, however, said foregoing questions at the committee level is not tantamount to junking accountability.

“The extension of courtesy is one of our long and cherished traditions in the House to strengthen the camaraderie between the executive and the legislative. It does not mean that we have compromised accountability, transparency because all questions can still be answered at the plenary,” Ungab said.

The bulk of the OVP's P889 million proposed budget for 2026 is allocated for Socio-Economic Projects and Stakeholder Engagements valued at P644.8 million.

This means that at least 72% of the OVP's proposed budget for 2026 is for Socio-Economic Projects and Stakeholder Engagements.

The proposed OVP budget for 2026, however, did not provide details and breakdown of intended expenses on these "Socio-Economic Projects and Stakeholder Engagements."  — RSJ, GMA Integrated News