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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Prinsipyo ito': Nazal opens up on why he didn't back OVP budget cut

'Prinsipyo ito': Nazal opens up on why he didn't back OVP budget cut

Published Oct 15, 2025 07:59 pm

At A Glance

  • Not all members of the House minority bloc supported Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima's motion to reduce the funding for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) next year by P156 million.
Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Not all members of the House minority bloc supported Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima's motion to reduce the funding for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) next year by P156 million.
In a statement Wednesday, Oct. 15, Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal revealed the reason why he went against the grain in the House plenary regarding Vice President Sara Duterte's 2026 office budget.
Nazal called his decision a "principled stance".
“Regardless of political differences, the [OVP] is a constitutional institution whose operations must be sufficiently funded to serve the Filipino people,” he pointed out.
“We cannot expect any public office to perform its mandate effectively if it is deprived of the resources necessary to function,” added the assistant minority leader.
De Lima's rationale for the fund slash centered on the Vice President's supposed refusal to participate in the House budget process, particularly in discussions on how her office spent public funds; and her repeated acts of "disrespect" to the institution.
The House majority bloc supported the P156-million OVP budget reduction in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). This caused the House leadership to carry the motion of De Lima, a deputy minority leader. 
The former senator likened the budget cut to a "parent disciplining a brat".
Duterte, for her part, simply brushed this off and said the House doesn't have moral ascendancy over the OVP.
Vice President Duterte is the second highest official of the land, next only to her ex-ally, President Marcos.
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