MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was absent from Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the proposed 2027 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), with her chief of staff, Zuleika T. Lopez, appearing on behalf of the office.
Sen. Joseph Victor G. Ejercito called the hearing to order, with Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian and Sen. Maria Imelda R. Marcos also present.
Gatchalian asked Lopez about Duterte’s whereabouts, noting that heads of offices typically attend budget hearings to defend their agencies’ funding requests.
Lopez explained that the Vice President was in Davao City representing former President Rodrigo Duterte at the inurnment of the city’s longtime planner. She did not identify the city planner by name but said the event was scheduled for October 20.
Gatchalian said the Senate hoped Duterte could attend the plenary session to further explain and defend the OVP’s proposed budget.
SENATORS CALL FOR COURTESY TOWARD OVP
Sen. Marcos urged her colleagues to observe the Senate’s traditional parliamentary courtesy toward executive officials despite Duterte’s absence.
“Let’s extend our traditional courtesy to our executive officers, as we do to the other House, the House of Representatives, and even if the President or Vice President, we really leave it alone,” Marcos said.
She also asked Lopez which OVP programs could be affected by the proposed budget reduction.
OVP BUDGET SET FOR 11.7% REDUCTION
The OVP is seeking P785.20 million for 2027, lower than its P899.24-million allocation for 2026.
The proposed funding represents an 11.7% decrease from the current year’s budget.
During the hearing, senators sought information on the potential effects of the reduced allocation and the programs that could be affected.
The Senate is reviewing the proposed 2027 national budget as part of the annual appropriations process. Budget hearings allow lawmakers to examine government offices’ funding requests, programs and spending priorities before final allocations are approved.
The OVP’s proposed P785.20-million budget remains subject to congressional deliberations.