Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged Vice President Sara Duterte to personally attend the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2027 Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget, stressing the need for thorough congressional scrutiny.
Hontiveros said Duterte’s ongoing impeachment proceedings should not prevent her from participating, as budget deliberations are separate from the impeachment process.
She emphasized that Congress has the constitutional responsibility to examine every government agency’s proposed budget, including the OVP.
Hontiveros added that lawmakers may raise questions about the Vice President’s foreign travels but said the OVP’s confidential and intelligence funds should not be a focus since the related impeachment charge had already been dropped.
She also stressed that Duterte’s absence from the previous budget committee hearing makes her attendance at the plenary discussions even more important.
Source: PhilNews24 | November 9, 2026
