Vice President Sara Duterte appeared at the Senate to appeal for the restoration of nearly PHP 1.3 billion cut from her office’s 2025 budget, amid allegations of fund misuse. Despite her efforts, the Senate approved a reduced PHP 733 million allocation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) within minutes, following the House’s budget version that had already slashed the initial PHP 2.03 billion proposal.
Duterte, however, received a commitment from her Senate allies, Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, to propose amendments in hopes of restoring some of the funding during the amendment period. At a post-session press briefing, Duterte expressed gratitude to the Senate for their swift action on the OVP budget and emphasized the impact of the budget cut, explaining it could affect around 200 OVP contract employees, especially those in regional satellite offices.
“If it’s returned, it would be a huge thing for us because we wouldn’t need to reject those who approach our office seeking help, especially those who need medical and burial assistance,” Duterte said.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Grace Poe clarified that the PHP 733 million allocation is not final and could change based on further discussions and the submission of itemized program details from the OVP.
“We are just waiting for the details from the OVP to identify what these programs are. There’s still about PHP 600 million for social services, but we need specifics,” Poe explained.
Meanwhile, Duterte denounced ongoing House investigations into alleged misuse of her office’s confidential funds as “political persecution” targeting her and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. Reflecting on the investigation, Duterte stated, “It’s clearly political persecution … I don’t expect fairness.”
The proposed budget of the Office of the President (OP), totaling PHP 10.5 billion, passed without opposition in the Senate, indicating strong support for executive offices despite recent scrutiny.
