The House of Representatives has slashed the proposed Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget for 2026 by P156 million, effectively bringing back the agency funding to its 2025 level.
This was made official in House plenary on Friday afternoon, Oct. 10, during the period of individual ammendments to the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2026. The proceedings were ongoing as of this posting.
Deputy Majority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima--who had no love lost for Vice President Sara Duterte--was the one who made the motion to reduce the OVP's outlay next year. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives)
00:00I propose an amendment to the budget of the Office of the Vice President in the form of a reduction from $889.24 million to its 2025 level of $733.2 million, representing a reduction of $156 million or 17.5%.
00:26This is found in House Gab, Volume 1A, Page 2, Line 19.
00:34Madam Speaker, Madam Sponsor, may I briefly explain my proposed amendment.
00:41Every peso in this budget is the people's money.
00:45And when we demand accountability, we do so not out of hostility, but out of duty.
00:53Duty to the Constitution, duty to the people, and duty to the truth.
01:00Let me then again put this on record.
01:04VP Sara Duterte's repeated refusal to face this chamber is an insult.
01:10It spits on the duty of accountability.
01:13While she clings to millions in public funds, she refuses to explain.
01:18This is arrogance.
01:20Para tayong mga magulang na tinatabig at sinisigawan ng anak na tumatangging magpaliwanag kung saan napunta ang baon.
01:30Kahangalan ang magsabi na aksidente lamang ito o resulta ng pagkakamali.
01:35Malinaw na pangmamaliit ito sa Kongreso at sa taong bayan.
01:40Sa madaling salita po, paulit-ulit na tayong binabastos ng vicepresidente.
01:47Congress holds the purse, and when a child squanders the family's money without answers, the remedy is clear.
01:57Bawasan ang baon hanggang matuto.
02:00Let me be clear.
02:02This reduction is discipline, not demolition.
02:06Malayo ito sa ginawa ng kanyang ama na ginamit ang budget para pahirapan ng Commission on Human Rights.
02:14A constitutional body created to defend the powerless.
02:19What we do here is different.
02:21We call out entitlement.
02:23We confront arrogance.
02:25We demand respect.
02:28Public money is not a toy.
02:29Hindi ito pa buya na pinamimigay sa mga imbentong tao na may imbentong pangalan sa mga imbentong project.
02:37It is a trust.
02:38And until the vicepresident learns respect, this house must act as a parent that disciplines a brat.
02:47Alam ko po, that this move will generate varied reactions.
02:51It might even be exploited by certain camps to elicit sympathy for VP Sarah.
02:57Diyan naman sila magaling kadramahan.
03:01Pero hindi pwedeng mangibabaw ang drama sa kung ano ang tama, sa kung ano ang makatwiran,
03:07at sa kung ano ang nararapat sa pagtatanggol sa dignidad ng insityong ito at ng proseso ng pambansang budget.
03:16So, Madam Speaker, Madam Sponsor, I respectfully but firmly propose the reduction of the budget of the Office of the President,
03:27Vice President, from $889.24 million to its 2025 level of $733.2 million.
03:41I so move.
03:44Maraming salamat po.
03:46Madam Speaker.
03:46What does the sponsor say?
03:51What does the sponsor say?
03:57Madam Speaker, the committee accepts the proposed amendment subject to the following.
04:25First, we want to protect the interests of the personnel within the Office of the Vice President.
04:34So, given that the current proposal of the Office of the Vice President reflects the salary increases of the said personnel
04:43in compliance with the salary standardization law, we will ensure that the personnel services will reflect that for the benefit of the employees of the Office of the Vice President.
04:56And second, we will also ensure that the final budget of the Office of the Vice President will be sufficient for the office to be able to perform its mandate.
05:08So, we will ensure that the office will not affect the Office of the Vice President's budget for the year 2026.
05:21Madam Speaker, I move to accept the proposed amendment.
05:35There is a motion to approve the proposed amendment.
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