Vice President Sara Duterte announced that her office has proposed a budget of P733 million for the year 2026, which closely mirrors the amount allocated for the current year.

During a press conference in Davao City, Duterte mentioned that the proposed budget is in line with the approximately P700 million provided to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2025.

Duterte explained that she opted to maintain the same budget as she believes requesting a higher amount may face rejection, especially since her office is not aligned with the current administration.

She expressed concerns about the possibility of her office not receiving funding for projects if they are not in alignment with the government.

In order to avoid any potential humiliation for her staff during budget deliberations in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Duterte decided to keep the budget consistent with the current year, with a slight adjustment to account for inflation in 2026.

These decisions were influenced by the significant budget cut the OVP faced in 2025, reducing the initial proposal of P2.037 billion to P700 million.

The reduction came after Duterte declined to provide direct answers to questions regarding the use of public funds, leading to concerns among House lawmakers.

Accusations of misusing funds from the Department of Education and the OVP between 2022 and 2024 have also been directed at Duterte.