House Deputy Minority Leader and ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima successfully defended her proposal to retain the 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at ₱733 million, following the approval of her amendment by the House majority, effectively rejecting the ₱169-million increase earlier proposed.
During the Period of Amendments for House Bill No. 4058, or the proposed FY 2026 General Appropriations Bill, held Friday, October 10, De Lima underscored that every peso in the national budget comes from the people — and must therefore be accounted for.
“Bawat piso sa budget na ito ay pera ng mamamayan. At kapag tayo ay nananawagan ng pananagutan, hindi ito dahil sa galit o pulitika, kundi dahil ito ay ating tungkulin — tungkulin sa Konstitusyon, tungkulin sa bayan, at tungkulin sa katotohanan,” she said.
De Lima also took a firm stand against Vice President Sara Duterte’s continued absence in congressional hearings concerning the OVP’s use of public funds — calling it an “insult” and a “display of arrogance.”
“Parang batang ginagastos ang pera ng pamilya nang walang paliwanag. Ang pagbawas sa budget na ito ay hindi parusa — ito ay disiplina, hindi demolisyon,” De Lima added.
The lawmaker further pointed out that her move stands in contrast to the actions of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vice President’s father.
“Iba ang ginagawa natin dito. Hindi tayo nagpapasailalim sa entitlement. Hinaharap natin ang kayabangan. Humihingi tayo ng respeto. Ang pera ng bayan ay hindi laruan. Hindi ito pabuya na ipinamimigay sa mga imbentong proyekto o imbentong tao. Ito ay tiwala ng publiko,” she said.
Acknowledging the possible political repercussions of her proposal, De Lima emphasized that her call was rooted not in politics but in accountability, justice, and respect for democratic institutions.
“Iginagalang ngunit buong tibay kong inihahain ang pagbabawas ng budget ng Office of the Vice President mula ₱889.24 milyon tungo sa antas nito noong 2025 na ₱733.2 milyon. I so move. Maraming salamat po,” she concluded.