By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Senate finance committee endorsed the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed ₱785-million budget for 2027 after a hearing lasting just 16 minutes on Tuesday, with Vice President Sara Duterte absent as her chief of staff represented the office.
Duterte attended the inurnment of her longtime city planner in Davao instead of appearing before the Senate panel, according to The Philippine Star.
OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio attended the hearing in her place.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said senators hoped Duterte would personally attend the plenary debate to defend her office’s proposed spending plan.
“We hope she can give time to represent her office and defend your budget in plenary,” Gatchalian told Lopez.
The proposed 2027 allocation is ₱104 million, or about 11 percent, lower than the OVP’s approved ₱889-million budget for 2026.
During the hearing, Senate finance committee chairman JV Ejercito asked whether the OVP would seek additional funding for its free bus ride and livelihood programs.
Lopez said the office would instead recalibrate its programs, acknowledging that the reduction in funding would mean serving fewer beneficiaries.
Senators Imee Marcos and Bong Go, both Duterte allies, moved to approve the proposed budget at the committee level, citing parliamentary courtesy.
Ejercito praised the OVP for continuing its programs despite limited resources and expressed hope for national unity amid political tensions.
The committee’s action sends the proposed budget to the plenary for further consideration, where senators may scrutinize the agency’s spending plan before final approval.
ia/xf
