Vice President Sara Duterte attends a hearing for the Office of the Vice President's 2025 budget at the House of Representatives on August 27, 2024.  Photo courtesy of the House of Representatives 

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte hopes the Senate can restore her office budget to keep some of her satellite offices and keep about 200 workers attached to the projects whose funding has been cut by the House of Representatives.

Duterte made the call after the Office of the Vice President (OVP)'s proposed budget breezed through the plenary session of the Senate in around ten minutes, with no questions asked.

Only her allies, Sens. Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence Go spoke up and only to seek approval of the budget. Both however indicated they will push amendments to the reduced budget of just over P733 million.

Originally, the OVP proposed a budget of over P2 billion for 2025.

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"Of course, lahat ng personnel ng Office of the Vice President are hopeful na madagdagan 'yung budget dahil 'yun nga na-explain naman kanina sa statement ni Sen. Bong Go na gusto naman din talaga magtrabaho ng lahat," she said.

(Of course, all the personnel of the Office of the Vice President are hopeful for a bigger budget because, as Sen. Bong Go explained, these people all want to work)

She said that some will not have anything to do because of funding cuts to projects and some will lose their jobs because of the budget cut.

She said most of the satellite offices and some operations of the central office would be affected.

"Yes, oo, the closure of satellite offices is a possibility depending on the budget that we get in the [General Appropriations Act]," she said.

She said the lower budget would make it harder for the OVP to implement projects outside Metro Manila through the satellite offices.

"Kung mababalik siya, malaking bagay siya. Dahil hindi namin hihindian yung mga lalapit sa opisina namin para humingi ng tulong. Particularly yung medical and burial assistance dahil 'yun talaga 'yung pinakamarami na mga requests na lumalapit sa Office of the Vice President," she added.

(If the budget is restored, we will not have turn away people who are asking for help. Particularly the medical and burial assistance, which are the most common requests to the Office of the Vice President)

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Still Duterte recognized the congressional power of the purse, vowing to make do with whatever Congress approves to continue their services.

Duterte showed up at the Senate in stark contrast to her non-appearance at the House of Representatives plenary deliberations.

"Hindi na kami umattend doon sa plenary kasi alam naman namin na paulit-ulit lang din yung mga tanong nila unrelated to the submitted budget of the Office of the Vice President," Duterte said.

(We no longer attended the plenary session because we know that they will be asking the same questions that are unrelated to the submitted budget of the OVP)

GO, DELA ROSA TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO OVP BUDGET

Dela Rosa and Go manifested during the plenary session their intend to seek changes to the reduced OVP budget.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Grace Poe maintained any amendment will be up to the entire Senate for final disposition.

Go emphasized that the OVP is not just meant to be a spare tire so Duterte, daughter of his former boss, should be allowed to deliver services.

"Mr. President, nakapagsagawa ng ating mga mahalagang programa po ang OVP na may direktang benepisyo naman po sa ating mga kababayan," Go said.

(Mr. President, the OVP has been able to implement valuable programs that directly benefited our citizens)

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He said that legislators also have funds for direct assistance to citizens.

Go pointed out that lawmakers are allowed to deliver basic services even if their main function is to legislate. 

"Hindi natin nililimitahan ng sarili natin bilang mambabatas lamang at trabaho naman natin, representation, constituency at legislation eh lalo na po ang Office of the Vice President na executive 'yung function nila," he said.

(We legislators do not limit ourselves to representation, constituency and legislation. What more the Office of the Vice President when it has an executive function)

He also pointed out that there is nothing wrong if some of the OVP's services are similar to those of other agencies.

"Ito lang po aking pakiusap sana para sa social services para mas marami pang mabigyan po ng tulong at mas marami pa pong matutulungan," said.

(This is just my appeal for more social services so more people will be given assistance)

"I would like to convey also that the manifestations of Sen. Bong Go is noted and at the proper time, Sen. Bong Go is free to introduce the amendments he would like to include for the Office of the Vice President's budget," Poe responded.