House panel OKs P902M budget for OVP, VP Sara Duterte faces questions

Updated Wed, September 17, 2025 at 1:55 AM Published Tue, September 16, 2025 at 9:33 AM

The House of Representatives appropriations committee approved the Office of the Vice-President's (OVP) proposed P902.08 million budget for 2026 with minimal opposition.

Vice President Sara Duterte appeared alone before the committee to defend the OVP budget.

She confirmed that while she personally funded her 19 foreign travels since July 2024, her entourage's expenses amounted to P7.47 million.

Duterte insisted that no public funds were used for her personal travel expenses, including representation, tickets, and per diems.

She declined to answer questions about the use of confidential funds by her office, stating it is the subject of an impeachment trial.

Last year, lawmakers scrutinized her office's alleged misuse of P612.5 million in secret funds in 2022 and P7.47 million in public funds for travel expenses in 2024.

Duterte's chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was cited in contempt in November 2024 for intellectual dishonesty and detained.

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