At A Glance
- The bicameral conference committee late Tuesday night, Dec. 17, approved the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) proposed P889-million budget for 2026.
The bicameral conference committee late Tuesday night, Dec. 17, approved the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed P889-million budget for 2026.
Vice President Sara Duterte (OVP Photo)
"The Senate proposes the National Expenditure Program (NEP) level of P889 million," Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
This was immediately seconded and approved.
To recall, in the Senate plenary, the Upper Chamber granted the OVP a budget that is P156 million higher than the House version, which was P733 million.
It was Deputy Majority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima who made the motion to reduce the OVP's outlay next year. She was irked by the Vice President's supposed refusal to attend last week's plenary debates on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
During the plenary deliberations in the Senate, Senator Robinhood Padilla even manifested his gratitude to the Senate and to his fellow lawmakers for not reducing the Vice President’s budget for next year and instead increasing it.