OVP: Budget hearing deferred despite Sara Duterte's willingness to attend

Vice President Sara Duterte was willing to attend the House panel deliberations on the P889-million budget her office is requesting for 2026, but the committee decided to postpone the hearing on Friday, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Saturday.

"For the information of the public, it was the House of Representatives that declined to accept the OVP delegation led by the Assistant Secretary—who is a senior official by reason of the status as presidential appointee—citing House tradition and stating that an Undersecretary should attend," the OVP said in a statement.

The OVP released images of Duterte's text exchange with Palawan Representative Jose Alvarez, the budget sponsor. In that conversation, Duterte said that Undersecretary Zuleyka Lopez, the OVP's chief of staff, was sick and that she would attend the hearing instead.

"At 10:07 a.m. [on] September 12, the budget sponsor was duly informed that the Vice President herself would attend the hearing in lieu of an Undersecretary. However, instead of proceeding with the hearing, the budget sponsor opted to defer it and instructed the VP and the OVP group not to go to the HOR," the OVP said.

The budget hearing of the House appropriations committee was originally scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

On Friday, Alvarez said Duterte promised to attend the next hearing slated for September 16.

The OVP will hold a briefing for senators on its proposed budget a day earlier. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News