REPLAY: VP Sara Duterte attends Senate OVP budget deliberations

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte attended the Senate plenary deliberation for the Office of the Vice President's budget for the Fiscal Year 2025 on Wednesday, November 13.

Last week, the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, adopted the House of Representatives' version of the proposed 2025 budget of the OVP.

Poe said the move to adopt was decided after the OVP failed to submit the documents earlier asked by the panel. In August, the panel questioned the 10 million budget earmarked for the publication and distribution of Duterte's book titled “Isang Kaibigan" ("A Friend").

The senator said they gave the OVP a chance to submit documents and to clarify issues regarding their budget but they have not submitted it. She also said they will retain the House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) "pending submission and review of these documents."

Under the 2025 National Expenditure Program, the OVP is requesting P2.037 billion for 2025, which was later reduced to P1.3 billion by the House of Representatives.

The House also sent the 2025 GAB to the Senate indicating that the OVP will only receive P733 million in 2025. 

Watch the live Senate plenary budget deliberations on Nov. 13, 2024.