VP Sara skips House budget defense after 'conditions' unmet; solons decry disrespect

VP Sara skips House budget defense after 'conditions' unmet; solons decry disrespect

Vice President Sara Duterte and officials of the Office of the Vice President skipped the House of Representatives deliberations on the OVP's proposed P902-million budget for 2026.

Palawan Rep. Jose “Pepito” Alvarez, the sponsor of the OVP budget, said the Vice President set conditions for her to show up to defend her office’s 2026 budget.

These include:

• the House requiring the attendance of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for the House plenary deliberations on the Office of the President's (OP’s) proposed P27.3 billion budget for 2026
• the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability showing her a document that the Department of Justice had already lifted the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) for some OVP personnel.

These include OVP Chief-of-Staff Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez, Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio, Director for Administrative and Financial Services Office Atty. Rosalynne Sanchez, Director for Strategy Management Office Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda, OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelrey, and Special Disbursement Officer Edward Fajarda

These individuals were previously questioned by the House's good government and public accountability panel over OVP’s disbursement of P625 million worth of confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

“We have given the Office of the Vice President utmost respect in the procedures of this Congress in order to deliberate on the budget of the OVP. [But] there’s no one from the OVP and I'm prepared to stand alone here and stand for the budget of the OVP,” Alvarez said.

“We will no longer respond to this letter, today being the last day [of House plenary deliberations],” he added.

No House member fielded questions regarding the budget. Instead, they called out the Vice President over what they described as appalling disrespect.

"This is very appalling. Who is she to disrespect our institution? Enough of her brattiness,” ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said.

“Now is not the time for conditions. What the people need is transparency and acceptable explanation. We deserve better,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co added.

GMA News Online is trying to get Sara Duterte's comment. 

The Vice President went to Cebu in the aftermath of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake to distribute relief goods. –NB, GMA Integrated News