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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Demanding much? House members chide VP Sara for asking Senate to pay for lawyers' caterer

Demanding much? House members chide VP Sara for asking Senate to pay for lawyers' caterer

Published Jul 23, 2026 04:15 pm

At A Glance

  • Ranking congressmen Terry Ridon and Perci Cendaña criticized Vice President Sara Duterte's request for the Senate to pay for her defense team's preferred caterer, calling it misplaced and outrageous.
  • Ridon stressed that the Senate impeachment court has no obligation to cover food expenses, noting that both the defense and prosecution already have institutional budgets for the trial.
  • Cendaña mocked Duterte for being more concerned about catering than the proceedings, while Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian rejected the request due to lack of funds.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Ranking congressmen have chided Vice President Sara Duterte for asking the Senate to foot the bill for her defense team's preferred caterer during the course of the official's impeachment trial there.
Based on Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña's statements, they find the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) request to the Senate misplaced, if not outrageous.
Duterte’s request that the Senate pay for catering and other arrangements for the defense panel reportedly stemmed from security concerns.
“Wala hong obligasyon ang Senate impeachment court para bayaran ang pagkain ng kahit sinuman, whether ng prosecution o ng defense,” Ridon said in a virtual press conference Thursday, July 23.
(The Senate impeachment court has no obligation to pay for anyone’s food, whether for the prosecution or the defense.)
The House prosecution panel member noted that both the prosecution and the defense already have institutional budgets to support their participation in the impeachment proceedings.
“May sarili pong mga opisina ang defense saka prosecution. ’Yung defense, meron silang OVP general budget. ’Yung House, meron pong general House budget para dito sa paglalatag ng impeachment trial na ito,” he explained.
(The defense and prosecution each have their own offices. The defense has the OVP general budget, while the House has the general House budget for conducting this impeachment trial.)
Ridon personally thought that the request was more than just a request.
“I think it looked like a demand from the OVP, from the Vice President herself, for the Senate to actually pay for the food expenses of the defense panel,” he said.
What's worse is that according to Ridon, obliging it would get the Senate in trouble.
“I think the OVP is basically opening up the Senate for a procurement case. Parang ang gusto nila, sarili nilang caterer, pero ang tagabayad ibang tao,”
(It’s like they want their own caterer, but somebody else will pay for it.)
More concerned with catering than trial?
Cendaña, a House deputy minority leader, mocked the twice-impeached Vice President for even going to such lengths.
“Si VP Sara 'yung kaibigan mong nag-RSVP ng sampu, pero demanding pa sa buffet. Parang mas concerned pa siya sa catering kesa sa trial,” Cendana wrote in a Facebook post.
(VP Sara is like a friend who RSVP’d for ten, but is still demanding from the buffet. She seems more concerned about catering than the trial.)
"Bloodbath ba talaga o birthday party? Sabi nga ni Digong, bratinella!” the outspoken solon noted, in reference to one of the Vice President's fighting words before the trial started.
(Does she want a bloodbath or a birthday party? Like what Digong said, bratinella!)
Cendaña then asked sarcastically if the prosecution panel could use the defense as its meal ticket.
“Kung tutulungan ng prosecution ang defense, puwede ba silang makikain sa pa-catering ng OVP na babayaran ng Senate?"
(If the prosecution helps the defense, can they also eat from the OVP’s catering that the Senate would pay for?)
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has apparently thumbed down the OVP's request, citing the lack of funds.

Related Tags

Impeachment Sara Duterte Caterer Terry Ridon Perci Cendaña defense Senate OVP
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