Politics · Philippines Bureau
Gatchalian flags VP Duterte's no-show at budget hearing
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian questioned Vice President Sara Duterte's absence from a Thursday budget defense hearing, noting that agency leaders typically appear before Congress to justify their appropriations.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday raised concerns over Vice President Sara Duterte's failure to attend a budget hearing where she was expected to defend the Office of the Vice President's proposed P785.2-million appropriation for 2027.
Gatchalian pointed out that it is customary practice for agency heads to personally appear before Congress to justify their budget proposals. The absence of the Vice President marked a departure from this established protocol, the Senate leader indicated.
In Duterte's stead, Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and other officials from the Office of the Vice President represented the agency during the hearing. The substitution underscored tensions between the executive and legislative branches as Congress scrutinizes spending requests across government departments.
The hearing was part of the Senate's regular budget deliberations for the coming fiscal year. The appropriations process typically involves direct engagement between agency heads and lawmakers to clarify budget priorities and expenditure justifications.