MANILA— Senate Committee on Finance Vice Chairperson Risa Hontiveros expects Vice President Sara Duterte to personally attend the upcoming deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2027 budget, saying agency heads should appear before Congress to defend their funding requests.

Hontiveros said the expectation applies to all government agency heads and is not directed exclusively at Duterte.

“I expect her to appear. Binanggit ‘yun explicitly ni [Senate President] Sherwin [Gatchalian] nung committee hearing na ineexpect talaga namin na bawat committee hearing hanggang sa plenary nandun ‘yung head of agency at hindi lamang kay VP Duterte lamang sinabi yun,” Hontiveros told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

She warned that another absence by the vice president would be noted by senators, describing it as improper conduct for any head of agency.

“[Kung hindi na naman dumating], I’m sure papansinin namin ‘yan kasi hindi ‘yan proper conduct. Sa kahit sino mang head of agency kahit pa o lalo na Vice President,” she added.

The senator also maintained that Duterte’s participation in the budget deliberations would not conflict with the Senate impeachment court’s subjudice rule, as the impeachment trial and the congressional budget process are separate legislative proceedings.

Hontiveros emphasized that Congress has both the authority and responsibility to scrutinize government spending proposals because the funds come from taxpayers.

The OVP’s proposed P785.204-million budget for fiscal year 2027 was swiftly approved at the committee level by a Senate finance subcommittee in October, with the briefing lasting only 16 minutes.

Duterte did not attend the Oct. 20 budget briefing. The OVP was represented by Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and other officials.

Lopez reportedly explained that the vice president was in Davao City to represent her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, at the inurnment of a longtime city planner.

Following the committee-level approval, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said he expected Duterte to attend the budget’s plenary deliberations, noting that agency heads are generally expected to defend their respective funding requests.

The OVP said its proposed allocation would support the continued delivery of assistance and services to beneficiaries nationwide.

Of the proposed budget, P220.232 million is earmarked for Personnel Services, P561.651 million for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, and P3.321 million for Capital Outlay.

An additional P15.544 million is automatically appropriated for the Retirement and Life Insurance Premium of OVP plantilla personnel.