Vice President Sara Duterte and the staff from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) snubbed the House of Representatives’ budget deliberations on its proposed ₱902 million budget for 2026 amid unmet demands.
On Thursday evening, October 2, Palawan Representative Jose “Pepito” Alvarez presented a letter addressed to the House chamber, enumerating a list of conditions for her to appear before Congress and defend her office’s 2026 budget.
Citing a letter dated September 30, 2025, VP Duterte said she is prepared to attend the plenary deliberations; but under the condition that the House of Representatives demand the attendance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the ₱27.3 billion budget deliberation of the Office of the President (OP).
She also demanded that the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability produce a Department of Justice (DOJ) document confirming that the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) for the following OVP personnel has been lifted:
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Atty. Zuleika T. Lopez
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Mr. Lemuel G. Ortonio
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Atty. Rosalynne L. Sanchez
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Atty. Sunshine Charry A. Fajarda
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Ms. Gina F. Acosta
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Ms. Julieta L. Villadelrey
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Mr. Edward D. Fajarda
“Please let me know by written communication how you wish to proceed,” the letter ended.
The named individuals were previously questioned by the said House committee over the OVP’s disbursement and confidential funds from 2022 to 2023.
Considering this is the third budget deliberations or interpellation for the OVP, Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima said the Vice President’s absence is a clear disrespect of the Constitution.
De Lima asked Alvarez whether the committee would respond to VP Duterte’s demands, to which the latter responded that they would no longer respond to the letter, Thursday being the final day of plenary deliberations.
“Who is she to continuously disrespect or show disrespect to this body as an institution and to the Constitution? If she can afford to be showing herself up to the Senate, including being there and applauding the former Senate president in his privilege speech—which is definitely not part of her mandate as the Vice President,” she questioned.
"Why can’t she not spare a few moments of her time attending to the official function as Vice President to defend the budget of her office? Enough is enough! Enough of her brattiness! I rise today to manifest my extreme displeasure about the behavior of our Vice President. And in due time, I will move for the decrease of the budget of the Office of the Vice President,” she added.
