Vice President Sara Duterte attended the House of Representatives budget briefing on her office’s proposed P889 million budget for 2026.
Before her budget presentation, Palawan Rep. Jose Pepito Alvarez clarified reports on why the Vice President did not show up during last week’s scheduled deliberations.
“Ako po ang ang request na mag-defer (I was the one who requested that we defer the deliberations),” Alvarez said.
However, House appropriations committee chair Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing suspended the budget presentation as lawmakers wished to ask the Vice President more questions.
Only Party-list Representatives Antonio Tinio and Renee Co were able to question Duterte during Tuesday’s session.
Last week, Suansing deferred deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budget request after the panel did not allow the agency’s representatives, whose ranks were lower than undersecretary, to defend the proposed allocation.
