Vice President Sara Duterte's continued non-appearance in the House plenary debates on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 has triggered minority members into seeking much-reduced funding for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Although the plenary deliberations on the OVP's proposed funding of P902.895 million was "successfully" terminated Thursday night, Oct. 2, Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co vowed a reckoning of sorts during next week's period of amendments for the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Thursday was the last day of the plenary debates on next year's proposed outlay. The marathon plenary deliberations have been running for two weeks in the House of Representatives under the current 20th Congress.

Thursday was the third straight day that the OVP budget was placed on the agenda in the grueling plenary debates. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Vice President Duterte sent subordinates, the highest ranked of which was an assistant secretary.

Reports said that the Vice President was overseeing her office's relief operations in Cebu, which was recently hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. 

The OVP's budget sponsor, Palawan 2nd district Rep. Jose "Pepito" Alvarez, read a letter from Vice President Duterte on the floor during Thursday's session.

"It has come to my attention that the [OVP's] budget of 902.895 million pesos has been deferred due to the committee's insistence that I attend the plenary deliberations. I am prepared to attend, however, I am seeking the following," Alvarez read the letter, dated Sept. 30, verbatim.

"1. The House of Representatives demand the attendance of President Marcos for the 27.3 billion pesos budget deliberation of the Office of the President," he continued.

For her second "alternative" demand, Vice President Duterte said she would "attend if the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability will produce before the plenary schedule, a Department of Justice (DOJ) document confirming [the lifting of] the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO)" on seven of her personnel.

"We have given the [OVP] utmost respect in the procedures of this Congress in order to deliberate on the budget of the OVP," Alvarez said.

"There's no one from the [OVP] and I am prepared to stand alone here," said the budget sponsor.

These conditions for attendance did not sit well with De Lima, Tinio, and Co.

"This is very appalling. This actuation of the part of the Vice President is very appalling. Her repeated non-appearance before the body shows insult, grave insult and disrespect to this institution," said De Lima.

"If she cannot respect us—the members of the House of Representatives—at least respect, the House of Representatives as an Institution, at least respect the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines," said the former senator.

"To manifest my extreme displeasure about the behavior of our Vice President, and in due time, I will move for the decrease in the budget of the [OVP]," De Lima said.

She said she initially intended to move for a zero budget, but felt bad for the OVP staff and personnel.

"I’m just now thinking of moving for the decrease, let’s say, for the retention of the MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) and personnel services budget and get rid of the operational budget of the [OVP]," she said.

"Wala pong silbi ang pag-interpelate sa sponsor (Interpellating the sponsor is useless)," a frustrated Tinio said.

Pointing to Vice President Duterte's absence, Tinio said, "Ultimately ang binabastos po ng Bise Presidente--sa paglalagay pa ng mga kundisyon, bago daw siya magpakita dito, may mga kundisyon muna, ibigay ang gusto niya--ang binabastos po niya dyan, hindi lang po itong institusyon ng Kongreso, hindi ang Konstityusyon, kung hindi ang taumbayan. Dahil pera nila ang gagamitin ng Bise Presidente."

(Ultimately, what the Vice President is disrespecting—by setting conditions before supposedly showing up here, demanding that her wishes be granted first—is not just the institution of Congress, not just the Constitution, but the people themselves. Because it is their money that the Vice President will be using.)

"At the proper time Mr. Speaker...I will move to reduce the budhet of the [OVP] for 2026...I will move that it be cut only to the PS (Personnel Services) component. Ibig sabihin yung pang-sweldo lang po sa personnel. Bakit po? Dahil obligado po, habang nanantili silang empleyado ng gobyerno. At isaalang-alang din po natin na ang mga kawani ng [OVP] ay damay lang po," Tinio said.

(That means it's only for the salaries of the personnel. Why? Because it is obligatory, as long as they remain government employees. And let us also consider that the staff of the [OVP] are merely collateral.)

The PS is worth P198.8 million.

Co concurred with her fellow Makabayan solon Tinio. "In due time, the Makabayan bloc will move to reduce the budget of the [OVP] in light of these new developments."

"Now is not the time for protection, now is not the time for immunities, now is not the time for conditions. Ang kailangan ng taumbayan: transparency, paliwanag (What the Filipino need is transparency and explanation). The Filipino people deserve an acceptable explanation. We deserve better," she added.