MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte and her office’s absence from the House of Representatives plenary debates on their proposed budget is causing delays, but lawmakers have assured that a reenacted budget will not be an option.
In a briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex on Tuesday, Deputy Speaker David Suarez; Assistant Majority Leaders Paolo Ortega, Jefferson Khonghun, and Raul Angelo Bongalon; and 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez maintained that the House would not allow a reenacted budget, as it would affect other agencies who complied with lawmakers’ questions and requirements.
Having a reenacted budget means the government would be forced to use a previous year’s budget because a new appropriations bill was not signed before the preceding fiscal year ended. This means the delivery of programs, which would require new funding, may be delayed.
“Well of course, definitely, the budget process is affected, it causes delay, and of course, I would like to emphasize that we cannot sacrifice the entirety, the national budget because of one agency,” said Bongalon, who is also vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations.
“When we speak of reenacted budget, the existing budget for this present year, that will be the budget for next year. So programs that need a fund hike are affected […] So if there is an agency that affects the budget process, definitely we will not allow that because the entirety of the Republic of the Philippines’ budget will be sacrificed,” he added.
Gutierrez also said that what the House is doing now — slowing down and waiting for the OVP — is just the chamber being lenient.
However, he admitted that this leniency would have its limit, as the House needs to approve the budget on time.
“In this case po, I think this is just procedural, it’s just a procedural issue, the budget process of Congress is slowing down to accommodate the certain personalities to appear, to be heard, to be fair, to be lenient. And I think the leniency afforded on this procedural issue will have its limit and we will not sacrifice the budget for the sake of this procedural lapse,” Gutierrez explained.
“The substantive must reign and still we will pass this budget. It’s just that, what we’re trying to say here is that the budget would wait for no man. But in this case, it is a woman,” he added.
Suarez meanwhile said that he does not think a reenacted budget is an option, because the lawmakers are only having issues with the OVP, and other “departments and agencies have fully complied with the requirements of the law.”
Nevertheless, Suarez said they will extend every possible courtesy to OVP.
“We will extend all courtesy and leeway and kung necessary, if we need to stay up late just to wait for her. But what’s important is that we do not disrespect the process because this is important for democracy,” Suarez said.
“If everybody has to go through this process, why is she exempted? There should be no exemption here. Everybody has to go through the process,” he added.
OVP’s proposed budget for 2025 was supposed to be deliberated at the House plenary at 10:00 a.m. Monday, but other agencies were asked to go first as the representative sent by Duterte’s office did not carry a written explanation and a letter of authorization.
The House then waited for the OVP to send an official representative until around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, but neither Duterte nor an OVP personnel showed up. This prompted the Majority to ask that OVP’s budget be discussed in the September 24 session instead.
There were also rumors on Monday that Duterte was on Calaguas Island for a beach trip. However, the OVP disputed this, saying that the reports were mere efforts to “besmirch” the vice president.
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 lawmakers from the House decided to cut this down following the vice president’s absence from the hearing — after initially refusing to directly answer lawmakers’ 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 OVP’s budget, leaving it up to the House to decide on the budget submitted.
Earlier, Bongalon said that Duterte could step down from her office if she is no longer interested in her position, as she seemed to prioritize other things over defending the OVP’s budget.