Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Attends House Hearing on OVP’s Proposed Budget for 2026
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President confirmed that former President Rodrigo Duterte called her and they talked about his love life and politics.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte is detained under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands since March. His confirmation of charges hearing which was initially set on September 23 was postponed after his lawyer claimed that he is suffering from a ‘cognitive impairment’.
All four (4) children of the former President were able to visit him altogether in August which was the first time during his entire ICC detention since March. It seemed like a Duterte family reunion inside the ICC detention facility. According to the Vice President, it was really her father’s request and he’s very happy about it.
Currently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte, and acting Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte are now back in the Philippines. In fact, the Vice President recently appeared at the budget hearing set by the House of Representatives over the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2026.
The OVP is asking for a P902.8 million budget for 2026. It is slightly higher compared to the P733 million approved budget for the office for this year. Its 2025 budget suffered a huge cut from a P2 billion initial proposal. Duterte previously claimed that she did not ask for a bigger budget for 2026 as she is not an ally of the Marcos Jr. administration so she does not expect the approval of her request.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also claimed that she expects budget cuts from the proposed fund of the OVP for 2026 citing that the President and the House Speaker are still the same people. According to her, she expects the OVP’s proposed budget to be reduced once the National Expenditure Program (NEP) reaches the lower chamber.
Based on a report on Inquirer, at the budget hearing of the House of Representatives over the proposed fund of the Office of the Vice President for 2026, Vice Pres. Duterte refused to answer questions about her previous confidential funds. For next year, the OVP did not include in their budget request confidential and intelligence funds.
In an ambush interview, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte confirmed that she and former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte were able to talk through a phone call. According to the Vice President, they talked about politics, flood control, and her father’s love life.
“Tumawag siya last Friday. He’s okay. Nag-usap kami (We talked) about politics, flood control, about ano nya, love life,” the Vice President said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte refused to share about what former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte said over the flood control mess in the Philippines now. Amid the elder Duterte’s lawyer’s claim that the former President is suffering from a ‘cognitive impairment’, the Vice President was asked if she thinks her father was “sharp” during their latest conversation.
“Tingin ko naman may mangyayaring hearing sa competency so hintayin na lang natin yung mga experts, bukod sa ICC, prosecution, and defense side. I’m sure maglalabasan yung experts kung ano yung problema. Hindi ako expert sa kung anong dapat kapasidad ng witness or accused,” she said.
Following the Duterte camp’s request to the ICC to adjourn all legal proceedings indefinitely, an ICC lawyer cited the opposing remarks of the Duterte family members and the ‘cognitive impairment’ claim of Nicholas Kaufman, the former President’s lawyer.