Respect to guide OVP budget talks regardless of impeachment — Adiong

HOUSE Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said Sunday that the House of Representatives will continue to extend courtesy and respect to Vice President Sara Duterte’s office as it deliberates on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) 2027 budget despite the ongoing impeachment trial.

Alonto Adiong, who is also a vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, said Congress has consistently treated Duterte’s office with respect. Despite Duterte’s absence from the 2026 plenary budget deliberations, the House still allowed the OVP’s budget to be taken up on the floor.

“The mere fact that we allowed her budget to be deliberated on the floor, even without her presence, is a manifestation of that courtesy that we have extended to her office,” Alonto Adiong said in an interview over dzBB’s Bantay Balita sa Kongreso with Nimfa Ravelo and Isa Avendaño-Umali.

But while the House would extend courtesy to the vice president, he emphasized that she and her office should not be exempt from scrutiny of the agency’s proposed budget.

“Respect is there, but it does not also mean that she should be immune from questions; that we disallow or we preclude members of the Appropriations Committee from asking questions about certain matters pertaining to her budget,” he said.

Alonto Adiong added that appearing before Congress during budget deliberations is part of an agency’s responsibility when requesting public funds to be allocated to target projects and programs.

“‘Pag budget po na yung hinihingi ng ahensya, dapat humarap ka. Kasi ang mga miyembro ng House of Representatives, they represent the people all over the country,” he said.

He added that failing to question agencies about their proposed budgets would itself amount to a “dereliction” of Congress’ oversight responsibilities.

“Eh di kung wala hong naman magtanong sa amin tungkol sa budget na ‘yan, eh that is also dereliction of our duty kasi we are being paid by taxpayers’ money to precisely ask these agencies where and how they implement these programs and projects that we approved,” Alonto Adiong said.

The House leader recalled how he personally reached out to Duterte during the previous budget cycle to discuss the OVP’s proposed allocation but received no response. “I was the first, one of the first sponsors of her budget. At na-ghosting po ako,” he said.

Despite this, he maintained that the House remains willing to hear from the vice president and her office during the upcoming budget deliberations.

“What is important is that the House of Representatives expects and hopes that she would attend the coming budget deliberation,” he said.

The Department of Budget and Management transmitted the proposed P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program for 2027 to Congress on August 11. The House Committee on Appropriations is set to begin discussions on the proposal on August 17.

The OVP’s budget deliberations will also take place as the Senate continues to hear the impeachment case against Duterte.