Manila: The House of Representatives on Wednesday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to respect Congress's constitutional role in the national budget process. This reminder came in response to Duterte's remarks that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) chose not to request a higher budget for 2026, anticipating rejection by the lower chamber and wishing to avoid any embarrassment for her staff.

According to Philippines News Agency, House spokesperson Princess Abante acknowledged the Vice President's recognition of Congress's role, stating, "it's good that Vice President Duterte recognizes the role of the House of Representatives in the budget process. She will request a budget from Congress." Abante highlighted the House's responsibility not only to approve budget requests but also to scrutinize the use of funds allocated to the OVP and ensure that their budget proposals are justified.

In last year's budget discussions for the 2024 national budget, the House reduced the OVP's initial proposal of PHP2.026 billion to PHP733.2 million, a cut exceeding PHP1.3 billion. A significant reason for this reduction was public concern over the OVP's request for PHP500 million in confidential and intelligence funds, which constituted about 21 percent of the initial proposal.

The decision followed revelations of the OVP's expenditure of PHP125 million in confidential funds over just 11 days in late 2022, which was flagged by the Commission on Audit. House leaders stressed the necessity for all budget items, particularly confidential funds, to be backed by comprehensive documentation, clear performance metrics, and complete transparency to maintain public accountability.

Abante countered Duterte's claim that avoiding a larger budget request was to prevent 'embarrassing' her staff, dismissing it as 'misleading.' She remarked, "The House does not embarrass anybody in the budget process. It's part of the House's duty to scrutinize the use of public funds allocated to them and funds that they are requesting for."

She further emphasized that the scrutiny of public funds is a constitutional duty aimed at ensuring government spending serves the public effectively, rather than a political maneuver. "There's no act of demeaning someone here. What is important is they answer factually, in accordance with the documents presented - this is not for personal politics, it is for the Filipino people that we are accountable for," Abante concluded.