Jay Khonghun thinks Vice President Sara Duterte should be blamed if many OVP staffers lose their jobs

JAY KHONGHUN — The lawmaker reacted to Vice President Sara Duterte’s assertion that about 200 OVP staffers could lose their jobs under her office’s P733 million 2025 budget.

One of the offices that requested a multi-billion budget for 2025 was the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office requested P2 billion budget for 2025 according to the Department of Budget and Management or DBM.

According to DBM, the OVP budget proposal does not include confidential funds. To recall, the Vice President was surrounded by controversy over the spending of the 2022 confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd) when she was Education Secretary.

However, the House of Representatives allocated a budget of P733 million for the position of vice president. Sara Duterte in 2025. The decision came after she skipped several hearings in which she was invited by the House to appear.

Duterte’s non-appearance during deliberations on the ÖVP’s 2025 draft budget disappointed several MPs. This even sparked rumors that Duterte’s office could be abolished next year.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte affirmed that the ÖVP will continue its work regardless of the amount approved as the budget for the office in 2025. The P1.3 billion reduction in the budget is expected to be reallocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH).

However, recently Vice-President. Sara Duterte said about 200 OVP employees could lose their jobs due to the P733 million budget. for the position in 2025. This sparked reactions from several lawmakers, including Jay Khonghun.

Based on a report from GMA News Balitambayan, Vice Chairman of the House Panel on Good Government and Public Accountability, Jay Khonghun, expressed his belief that it is the Vice President. Sara Duterte’s responsibility if more than 200 OVP staff lose their jobs due to the P733 million budget allocated to the office.

“Ilang beses siya inimbitahan, hindi siya umattend, hindi siya pumunta para i-justify the kanyang budget. And yet, pagkatapos, ibabalik niya sa Kongreso ‘yung mawawalan ng trabaho?” the lawmaker said.

Jay Khonghun also pointed out that if Vice-President. Sara Duterte appeared in Congress and defended her budget, ÖVP employees will not lose their jobs. Based on the report, he pointed out that the problem is that Duterte would not justify his office’s budget proposal.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also did not respond to the Senate to justify the ÖVP’s 2025 budget proposal. According to Senator Grace Poe, Vice President. Duterte did not submit budget documents to defend its proposal, the panel therefore chose to adopt the budget of 733 million pesos allocated by the House to the OVP.