Sara Duterte, OVP rep no-show yet at House plenary debate on budget

Vice President Sara Duterte | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives was set to deliberate on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed budget for 2025 at the plenary, but Vice President Sara Duterte was a no-show as of Monday afternoon.

In a press briefing, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan was asked about Duterte’s absence from the plenary debate, particularly reports that she was seen on an island beach over the weekend.

Libanan said they were okay with that because it was during the weekend, but Duterte or an official representative of the OVP should show up at the plenary on Monday.

As of posting time, the House was still waiting for someone from the OVP to show up.

“That’s a weekend, and what’s important is today. The budget hearing is so important because this is the biggest piece of legislation … In my experience as a lawmaker, during budget hearings, heads of offices will attend and if you cannot attend, you have to have a valid reason, or you should assign a responsible official who would stand in for you,” Libanan told reporters.

“That’s why we are still asking: Where is our Vice President? Because a while ago, her office was scheduled to defend their budget at 10 o’clock [in the morning] and there is no good explanation for that. Up to this time we are waiting, and I hope we will have a chance to discuss their budget,” he added.

When asked to clarify if the OVP’s budget was expected to be tackled at the start of the plenary debates on Monday morning, Libanan confirmed this, noting that the representative sent by the OVP did not carry with him any written authorization to aid the budget sponsor, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

“Yes, according to our schedule, OVP’s budget would be tackled, and we just delayed it because up to now we are waiting … They sent a representative, one of her staffers, but according to the report, there is no authorization or written authorization and there is no written explanation,” Libanan explained.

“Our jobs may be stressful sometimes, it may be hard, but we have an obligation to the people to answer questions when we are asked, the minority is willing to scrutinize, support, oppose, and at the end of the day, this is a process of our democracy and of our Constitution,” he added.

This is not the first time that Duterte skipped hearings on her office’s proposed budget. Last September 10, at the second round of talks at the House committee on appropriations, neither Duterte nor any member of the OVP showed up to respond to questions.

The OVP was originally allocated a P2.037-billion budget under the National Expenditures Program (NEP), but House lawmakers decided to cut this down after Duterte refused to directly answer their queries at the August 27 hearing.

READ: OVP’s 2025 budget talks deferred anew; panel terminates hearings

During the August 27 hearing, Duterte answered most of the questions by saying that she forgoes the opportunity to defend the OVP’s budget and is leaving it up to the House to decide on the budget submitted.

READ: Duterte refuses to answer OVP budget questions, sparks House tension

Earlier, the OVP released Duterte’s letter to Adiong dated September 11, saying that they have acknowledged receipt of the lawmaker’s letter.

In the letter, Duterte repeated what she said during the budget deliberations, and in a previous letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and appropriations chairperson Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co that she is leaving the fate of the OVP’s budget up to the House.

READ: Sara Duterte reiterates: Fate of OVP 2025 budget is up to House

Duterte and the OVP are currently under fire after budget hearings at the House revealed issues on their confidential funds (CF) in 2022 and 2023 and alleged anomalies in the delivery of projects.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe previously said that Duterte may be held liable for graft if she cannot explain how funds were spent, particularly the items with adverse findings from the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA issued a notice of disallowance on P73.2 million of the OVP’s P125-million CF for 2022 — an item that several lawmakers said should not be available in the first place, as the original budget crafted under former vice president Leni Robredo did not have such.

The observations have led the House committee on good government and public accountability to check on the issues surrounding the OVP’s budget utilization.

READ: OVP hit for using only 0.4% of its Magnegosyo Ta Day funds

READ: Sara Duterte’s confidential fund spending raises new, more doubts