The House of Representatives did not consider the deliberations on the 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after Vice President Sara Duterte and her representatives skipped the scheduled budget hearing in plenary.
The suspension came at around 2:44 a.m. Tuesday amid growing frustration from lawmakers over the repeated acts of defiance of either VP Duterte or her staff during key budget discussions and investigations in aid of legislation.
Deputy Majority Leader Marlyn Primicias Agabas brought the issue to the floor being presided by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., stating that despite multiple efforts to communicate with the OVP, no staff members were present to help Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the sponsor of the office's proposed budget.
“We have disposed of all the items on the agenda today except for one, the budget of the office 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,” Agabas said, explaining the need for the suspension.
The absence of any representatives from the OVP is particularly significant as the House is in the critical stages of deliberating its 2025 budget.
Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel expressed his frustration during the session, highlighting the Vice President’s continuous disregard for the House's role in budget approval.
“Mr. Speaker, we actually waited for 17 hours since 10 a.m. of September 23 up until mag-alas tres na po ngayon, September 24,” Manuel said, pointing out the excessive wait time during the budget deliberations.
Manuel said this is not the first time that VP Duterte acted disrespectfully toward the House of Representatives, as she has been accused of evasiveness and a lack of transparency regarding the OVP's expenditures as well as during her tenure as Education Secretary.
“Sa unang salang sa Committee on Appropriations, naging evasive po ang nakaupong Vice Presidente at hindi sinasagot ng tuwiran ang ating mga tanong,” Manuel said, recalling Duterte’s previous appearances.
Manuel also cited Duterte’s refusal to testify under oath during a hearing before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, where she left the session without addressing the lawmakers’ questions.
“Sa isang hearing ng Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, siya ay tumanggi na mag-oath at umalis tila ba ay nag-walkout sa hearing,” Manuel added.
The House’s frustration extends beyond this recent absence.
Lawmakers have noted a pattern of behavior from the Vice President, indicating a lack of accountability and transparency when it comes to her office’s budget.
Manuel further emphasized that public officials should not treat the budget as a personal entitlement, saying, “Kapag sitting vice president, pag nag-propose ng budget mula sa kaban ng bayan, para ang gustong iparamdam sa mga Pilipino ay bahala na kayo kung ibibigay ninyo o hindi ang hinihingi ko.”
“Pero pag ayaw niyo ibigay, masama kayo. Mr. Speaker, the OVP has continued to characterize the questions of the Filipino people regarding their past questionable expenditures as political attacks and has not taken questions seriously,” Manuel said.
In her past budget hearings, Duterte has been accused of making light of serious inquiries, labeling them as political attacks rather than addressing the concerns head-on.
“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,” said Manuel.
The deliberations on the OVP budget have been rescheduled for today, Sept. 24, and lawmakers are expecting the Vice President or her staff to be present for the discussions.
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