Vice President Sara Duterte briefed senators on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of Vice President (OVP). For next year, the OVP is seeking a budget of P2.037 billion, which will be allotted to personal services, maintenance and other operating expenses, and capital outlay (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit)
MANILA, Philippines — The absence of Vice President Sara Duterte or any of her office’s representatives to explain questions about their proposed 2025 budget during plenary debates is tantamount to betrayal of public trust.
This was according to Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, who, at the latter part of the marathon budget discussions at the plenary, stressed that queries on the proposed OVP budget and utilization of its past allocations must be answered because it is of public interest.
The deliberation on the proposed 2025 budget of the OVP was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. Monday (September 23). However, since neither Duterte nor any authorized representative of the OVP showed up in time, lawmakers decided to wait but still failed to discuss the matter even if the session continued through before dawn on Tuesday (September 24).
“Mr. Speaker, to end, this is a clear betrayal of public trust, as every elected official is accountable to the electorate, and thus is obliged to answer any question that concerns public interest,” Manuel stressed.
“Mr. Speaker, if children ask their parents for money for their school project or school fee, they are required to explain. They would not be given funds if they would not explain […] But if it’s a sitting vice president, if they propose a budget that would come from public coffers, it seems they want the Filipino people to feel that it is up to them if they would give any allocation. But if you do not give that, you are evil,” he added.
READ: Sara Duterte, OVP rep no-show yet at House plenary debate on budget
Manuel noted that the failure of Duterte or any OVP representative to show up at the budget plenary debates is preceded by the her decision to skip budget hearings and refusal to answer questions surrounding her office’s budget.
“Mr. Speaker, we actually waited for 17 hours since 10:00 a.m. of September 23 until up to almost 3:00 a.m. now, of September 24. We would like to state for the record, the track record of the OVP during the past hearings where we tried to discuss their proposed budget and budget utilization, has been consistent,” the party-list lawmaker said.
“Mr. Speaker, during the first round of questions at the committee on appropriations, the sitting Vice President was evasive and did not directly answer the questions. At the second hearing of the committee, she did not show up. Then at the hearing of the committee on good government and public accountability, she refused to take an oath and it seemed that she walked out from the hearing,” he added.
Manuel’s manifestation came after the House approved to reschedule the plenary debates on the 2025 OVP budget from Monday to Tuesday after no authorized OVP personnel attended to defend the allocations even after 17 hours.
“Mr. Speaker, we have disposed of all the items in the agenda today except for one, the budget of the OVP. And we have just checked the holding room of the OVP in the House of Representatives premises, and there are no persons present. We have also checked with the committee on appropriations secretariat and no letter has been received explaining their absence,” Deputy Majority Leader and Pangasinan 6th District Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas said at 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
READ: Sara Duterte reiterates: Fate of OVP 2025 budget is up to House
“Mr. Speaker, for the record, yesterday morning September 23, shortly before 10:00 a.m., the head of the legal office of the OVP along with two other individuals arrived at the session hall. However, he did not possess any written communication as required by our rules authorizing them to represent the OVP. Since no one from the OVP has returned, considering the lateness of the hour, may I move Mr. Speaker that we include the OVP budget in the calendar of business of September 24, 2024,” she added.
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., who was presiding over the plenary session approved Primicias-Agabas’ motion.
On Monday, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan confirmed that the House was scheduled to deliberate the OVP proposed budget for next year at 10:00 a.m., but the absence of an authorized representative forced the chamber to ask other agencies to go first.
In a press briefing, Libanan was asked regarding Duterte’s absence at the plenary debates — particularly on reports that the Vice President was seen on an island beach over the weekend. Libanan said they do not mind that because it was on a weekend and that the important thing now is for Duterte or any official representative from her office to show up for their schedule at the plenary.
Libanan also noted that although there was an OVP representative who came, the person did not have did not carry any written authorization to aid the budget sponsor, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
The OVP was originally allocated a P2.037 billion budget under the 2025 National Expenditures Program (NEP), but lawmakers from the House decided to slash the amount by at least 60 percent after Duterte stopped attending the hearings as she refused to directly answer lawmakers’ queries during the August 27 proceeding.
During the August 27 hearing, Duterte’s answers were mostly that the OVP forgoes the opportunity to defend its budget as it leaves the decision to the House.