Disappointed with VP Sara's behavior, House leader backs cuts in OVP budget

House Appropriations Committee vice chairperson Zia Alonto Adiong supports reducing the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President, following Vice President Sara Duterte's absence from the plenary deliberations yesterday, as well as the VP's imposition of conditions for her attendance.

Adiong described Duterte's behavior as "disappointing."

The proposed 2026 budget of the OVP is P902.8 million, representing an increase of almost P170 million from the approved 2025 budget of over P700 million.

The Makabayan bloc and the ML Party-list manifested in plenary last night that they will move to reduce the personnel services, and maintenance and other operating expenses of the OVP budget.

"I believe the increase of P200 million would be on the consultancy fees at saka yung mga additional supplies. So sayang nga lang kasi hindi siya pumunta, she could have at least defended that and explained to the plenary and convinced the members why she needed that P200 (million) plus increase. Unfortunately, no explanation at all. That's why sa amin, I would, my working draft would still be on the P700 (million.)" Adiong said in an interview.

Adiong compared the OVP under Duterte to the OVP under former VP and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, which had a smaller budget.

"Yung time po ni former Vice President Leni Robredo, resourceful po si former Vice President Leni Robredo. I think it also goes up with the integrity and credibility of the person, di ba? Si Vice President Leni Robredo because the trust rating of some of the NGOs and CSOs and private sectors are so high to a point that they are willing to cooperate and assist the office para yung mga plano at mga programa ng kanyang opisina dati as Vice, ay ma-implement yan nang maayos," he said.

Adiong described Duterte's imposition of conditions in exchange for her appearance in the House to defend her office's budget as an insult.

"Sana nakapunta siya to extend this courtesy the way that she extended courtesy to the Senate. Remember, the legislature is composed of two chambers. And so, if it's a deliberate way of, I don't know, expressing her preference for the Senate or perhaps her disgust, then of course, everyone as a human being, as a person would feel insulted by the non-attendance of the OVP. As an institution, yeah. But as an individual, I get, as I told you, I get used to it as a former sponsor (of the OVP budget.) But I think on the issue of the individual or the institution itself, it's really an insult to the institution," Adiong said.

Adiong says the House targets to approve on second reading the proposed 2026 national budget next week and on third and final reading on the last day of the session on Oct 13.

In a separate news conference, House Infrastructure Committee co-chairperson Terry Ridon said he supports a reduction in the proposed budget of the OVP.

Ridon also said Vice President Sara Duterte cannot impose conditions for her attendance in the plenary deliberations on the proposed budget of her office.

"I think the Vice President is not in a position to make demands to Congress. But more importantly, it reflects, of course, yun pong kanyang talagang paggalang doon po sa proseso po ng pagba-budget," Ridon told reporters in an interview.

"There's no problem in reducing the budget of the OVP. Ibig sabihin, kung ano yung kailangan niya for them to basically operate and to provide yun pong needed services to the public, yun po yung susuportahan po nating budget. Nothing more," he added.

He leaves the decision on what amount to allocate for the OVP to the House Committee on Appropriations.

"Ang more important question is paano ho ba ginamit yung pondo this year at paano ho nila gagamitin yung pondo next year. My problem with that is basically, they haven't been going to Congress and they haven't been explaining themselves. So how in the world are we able to make a determination on tama ba or deserve ba nila yung pong pondo na ibigay sa kanila. So I think we will leave it to our colleagues in the Appropriations Committee to make that determination," Ridon explained. —LDF, GMA Integrated News