The Senate moved with unusual speed on Thursday, giving its swift approval to the proposed P889 million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for fiscal year 2026.
It happened fast — under five minutes.
During the plenary session, Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito stood, filed the motion, and pushed to end deliberations on the OVP budget almost as soon as they began. No senator objected. No questions were raised.
A moment later, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III gave the official nod.
And just like that, it was done.
A Personal Appearance from the Vice President
Vice President Sara Duterte personally arrived at the Senate to represent her office during the session. Her presence added weight to the proceedings, though she declined to entertain questions from the media afterward.
Earlier, the Senate committee on finance moved to increase the OVP’s 2026 budget — from the House-approved P733.198 million to P889.236 million — a bump that drew appreciation from several senators.
A Message of Gratitude and Praise
Senator Robin Padilla, in a heartfelt manifestation, thanked Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian and fellow senators for supporting the increase.
He spoke with emotion, recalling the Vice President’s presence in moments of hardship:
“Sa tuwing may dadating na kalamidad, kalungkutan, kamatayan… naandyan po lagi ang ating Pangalawang Pangulo upang makiramay, tumulong.”
He described her as someone who goes wherever help is needed — even to places no other public official has reached.
Vice President Duterte, for her part, offered a brief message:
“We’d like to thank the Senate of the Philippines for approving the OVP year 2026 budget.”
She left it at that — no interviews, no follow-up comments.
A Budget Once Cut, Now Restored
The quick approval comes a year after the House slashed the OVP budget from P2 billion down to P733 million, following Duterte’s refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions about spending, including the controversial confidential funds.
Despite pressure from Duterte’s allies at the time, the Senate upheld the reduction.
This year, the mood shifted.
During plenary deliberations, the Senate again moved quickly — approving the OVP’s 2026 budget in less than 10 minutes, with zero objections raised.
