OVP budget hurdles Senate panel

SENATE finance committee on Monday swiftly approved the Office of the Vice-President’s (OVP) proposed P902.9-million budget for 2026, without any opposition from legislators.

The Senate’s Finance Committee swiftly approved the OVP’s budget after 40 minutes of deliberations, with senators extending parliamentary courtesy to the country’s second highest official.

For 2026, the OVP is seeking a 20% increase in its budget from the P744 million allocated this year.

During the hearing, Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri moved for the committee to approve the budget, citing courtesy to the OVP.

“The budget of the Vice-President is already a lean and mean budget. Maybe we can afford them courtesy, and we can approve the budget,” Mr. Zubiri said.

The budget deliberations have been a far cry from last year’s where the Vice-President faced questions regarding her secret fund use.

“Despite challenges, nothing has so far been insurmountable enough to take OVP off its track, derail its course, or completely incapacitate the institution and stop it from serving the interests of the people,” Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio told senators.

She was earlier impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of budget misuse, unexplained wealth, and allegedly conspiring to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his wife, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. She has denied all accusations.

The impeachment complaint against the Vice-President has since been archived by the Senate, which was constitutionally mandated to try the case. — Adrian H. Halili