MANILA – In a brisk show of solidarity that clocked in under five minutes, the Senate on Thursday greenlit Vice President Sara Duterte’s Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget for 2026 at its original P889 million ask – a stark reversal of the House’s earlier slash, underscoring the chamber’s quiet rebuke of the inter-branch tensions that have simmered since last year’s explosive hearings.
The plenary nod came without a single question or objection, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, who moved to approve the figure straight from the drawing board. It was a far cry from the House’s drawn-out drama, where lawmakers trimmed the OVP’s proposal to P733 million – flat from 2025 levels – after Duterte boycotted deliberations, citing unmet demands like President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s personal appearance to defend his own office’s funding. Sen. Robinhood Padilla, a staunch Duterte ally and the chamber’s action-hero solon, beamed with approval, declaring in Filipino: “I’m pleased because here in our chamber, we didn’t reduce our Vice President’s budget; we increased it.” He lauded Duterte’s track record in aiding Filipinos through calamities and crises, adding, “I’m happy and grateful to our colleagues. Thank you very much, and I’m glad the pressure against our Vice President didn’t come from this chamber.”
The swift passage – even quicker than last year’s 10-minute record – echoes Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri’s earlier praise during committee hearings, where he dubbed the OVP’s ask “lean and mean” and extended parliamentary courtesy to shield it from cuts. Notably absent from the 2026 blueprint? Any allocation for confidential or intelligence funds, a hot-button issue that ignited last year’s fireworks: Duterte’s chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was even hauled before the House in contempt and briefly detained at the Batasang Pambansa over the OVP’s handling of such pots during her stint as education secretary.
Duterte, who made a fleeting appearance at the Senate but skipped the House entirely, brushed off post-approval queries with her trademark poise. When pressed on resigned Rep. Zaldy Co’s fresh allegations tying Marcos to graft scandals – including a supposed P100-billion pork pipeline – or whispers of her eyeing the presidency amid destabilization buzz, she deflected with a wry, “Thank you, next year na.” Instead, she pivoted to holiday cheer: “Merry Christmas to everyone, and thank you to the Senate.”
Back in June, Duterte had preemptively downplayed her budget bid, explaining she dialed it back to spare OVP staff the grilling: “I don’t like to see OVP personnel being embarrassed when they face the House or the Senate.” Now, with the Senate’s stamp of approval, the ball bounces to the bicameral conference committee, where House and Senate versions must hash out a final figure – much like last year, when the upper chamber reluctantly adopted the lower one’s leaner cut after realigning P1.29 billion to other agencies.
For Duterte, navigating a second year of Palace frictions, this Senate lifeline feels like a timely boost – a reminder that in the labyrinth of Philippine politics, alliances in the august hall can outpace executive eddies. As the holiday lights flicker on, the OVP’s restored purse strings signal not just fiscal grace, but a chamber unwilling to let partisan potholes derail the vice president’s path forward.