Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday, July 23, that the Senate cannot cover the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) request for the chamber to shoulder the food and catering expenses of Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team during the impeachment trial, citing budget constraints and competing priorities.

Speaking to reporters, Gatchalian said the Senate is preparing for the upcoming deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget, which may require renting additional venues at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) because several Senate committee rooms remain occupied for the impeachment proceedings.

He explained that the Senate expects to receive the National Expenditure Program by the middle of August, after which committee hearings on the budget will begin in earnest. With only three committee rooms currently available, the Senate is considering renting space at the PICC to accommodate simultaneous budget and regular committee hearings.

"Kakailanganin namin mag-rent ng space sa PICC... So in short, wala kaming pondo para magbigay ng pagkain sa prosecution and defense (We will need to rent space at the PICC... So, in short, we do not have the funds to provide meals for either the prosecution or the defense)," he said.

Asked whether the Senate had already responded to the OVP's letter, Gatchalian said the response has yet to be finalized as the chamber is still working out logistical arrangements.

"We cannot afford it, in short, because we would have to rent the space in PICC," he added.

Gatchalian also said the matter ultimately falls under Senate management but maintained that funding remains the primary issue.

"Decision na 'yan ng management ng Senado kung papayagan o hindi. But it's a basic issue of budget. Dahil nga hindi kaya ng budget, dahil mayroon tayong ibang gastusin, we have to prioritize of course yung budget hearings at committee hearings (That will be a decision of the Senate management on whether to allow it or not. But the basic issue is the budget. Since our budget cannot accommodate it and we have other expenses, we have to prioritize the budget hearings and committee hearings)," he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accounts, also opposed the request, saying he had informally discussed the matter with several senator-judges, including Gatchalian.

In a text message, Lacson said allowing the OVP to use its own accredited caterer while charging the expenses to the Senate could be "highly questionable and irregular."

He noted that the Senate already has its own caterer selected through the regular bidding process, and accommodating a different service provider while paying for meals for the defense team, support staff, and witnesses "may be violative of the government procurement law."

Lacson added that the Senate still has substantial unspent appropriations for the impeachment trial under the continuing appropriations provision of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, which may be obligated until December 2026.

In a letter addressed to Gatchalian, the OVP requested that all food and beverages for the defense panel, support staff, and witnesses be served exclusively in their designated holding room and sourced solely from the OVP's accredited caterer due to what it described as legitimate security concerns.

The OVP also asked the Senate to shoulder the "reasonable costs" of the food, beverages, and catering services, saying the arrangements were necessary to protect the safety and well-being of the defense team and witnesses, ensure their effective participation, and support the orderly conduct of the impeachment trial.

Meanwhile, when asked about Senator Rodante Marcoleta's letter asking to have his vote counted, Gatchalian said that he has yet to read it.