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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Hindi ako bumanat': VP Sara held back in House budget hearing because of this solon

'Hindi ako bumanat': VP Sara held back in House budget hearing because of this solon

Published Sep 16, 2025 02:53 pm

At A Glance

  • Vice President Sara Duterte purposely didnt spew fire during the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget hearing Tuesday, Sept. 16 in deference to an elderly member of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Palawan 2nd district Rep. Jose "Pepito" Alvarez (center), Vice President Sara Duterte (foreground)
Palawan 2nd district Rep. Jose "Pepito" Alvarez (center), Vice President Sara Duterte (foreground)


Vice President Sara Duterte purposely didnt spew fire during the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget hearing Tuesday, Sept. 16 in deference to an elderly member of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Duterte had this to say in a chance interview after the OVP budget hearing was concluded or terminated without any incident.
This lack of fireworks was noteworthy especially with what went down last year, when the Vice President and House members traded barbs on the topic of confidential and intelligence funds.
Asked if she was surprised by the lack of intensity in Tuesday's budget hearing, Duterte said: "Hindi lang yun naging intense kasi hindi ako bumanat. Last time, kasi bumabanat ako kaya naging intense siya."
(It didn't become intense because I didn't give any criticism. Last time, I did that, that's why the hearing became intense.)
So why did she hold back? She pointed to Palawan 2nd district Rep. Jose "Pepito" Alvarez, vice chairman of the appropriations panel and designated OVP budget sponsor.
"Naawa ako kay congressman (I pity the congressman)...Because he's 81 years old and I do not think that he can handle the stress of an intense and heated budget period," Vice President Duterte said of Alvarez.
Alvarez was the presiding officer for much of the OVP budget hearing Tuesday.
After the termination of the hearing at the committee level, OVP officials will still have to attend the House plenary debates on the proposed 2026 national budget.
Vice President Duterte says she's also thinking of participating in the plenary debates, if only for Alvarez's sake.
"Pinag-iisipan ko kasi naawa ako sa kanya. Naawa ako kasi he's already 81 years old and kanina yung nasi-stress na siya...Tingnan natin kung nandiyon pa yung awa sa kanya pag na-schedule na sa plenary," she said.
(I'm thinking about it because I pity him. I pity him because he's already 81 years old and earlier he wax getting stressed...Let's see if I still pity him by the time that the plenary schedule it out.)
Duterte did not attend last year's plenary debates on the OVP budget. 
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