Pauline Pancho

Vice President Sara Duterte personally attended the Senate deliberation on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Thursday, November 27, 2025.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian sponsored the OVP’s proposed allocation amounting to ₱889 million. During the session, Senator Robin Padilla expressed his full support, noting his appreciation that the chamber opted not only to retain but also to increase the OVP’s budget.

“Ako po ay natutuwa sapagkat dito po sa ating bulwagan ay atin pong hindi binawasan ang budget ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo, bagkus ay dinagdagan,”

Padilla said, highlighting that the OVP has consistently extended assistance to communities affected by typhoons and other calamities.

In a rare smooth deliberation, no senator interpellated or questioned the proposed budget. With no objections raised, the OVP’s 2026 budget was swiftly approved.

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In the budget deliberation for the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on November 25, 2025, Sen. Robin Padilla raised concerns over the alleged use of government-funded trolls.

Padilla emphasized the damaging impact of online harassment, stressing the growing number of victims.

“Alam naman po natin na ang troll ay pinanggagalingan ng bullying,” he said, noting that trolls contribute to a toxic online environment.

He then directly questioned the agency’s stance:

“Ang atin po bang ahensiya at PCO ay naniniwala na dapat may troll ang gobyerno?”

Sen. Loren Legarda, who sponsors the PCO’s budget, responded after clarifying with PCO officials present during the hearing. She firmly reiterated the agency’s position:

“Hindi ko kailangan itanong sa kanila, dapat ‘wala.’ And ayon sa kanila ay wala.”

Legarda further explained her role in relaying the agency’s official responses.

“Again, I am defending their budget, and I'm only saying this based on what is transmitted to me… So, I am told they don’t have trolls. I am told they do not use government funds for fake news.”

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Senator Erwin Tulfo on Monday, November 24, 2025, held a press conference to raise alarm over what he described as a “money-making scheme” within the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), claiming that the agency has been abusing the issuance of Letters of Authority (LOA) to extort from taxpayers.

“Habang abalang-abala po tayo dito sa flood control, may nangyayaring korapsyon naman dito sa Bureau of Internal Revenue,”

Tulfo said, adding that he considers the BIR the second most corrupt government agency after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

According to Tulfo, many business owners—from small enterprises to major corporations—have complained that BIR examiners continue to subject them to inspections even after they have fully paid their taxes. Tulfo likened the LOA to a “search warrant,” claiming that the document is used as a tool to pressure businesses.

“Eh bayad na po ng tax ang isang kumpanya… hindi na po pinapatawad. Kaya marami na pong umaray mula Luzon hanggang Mindanao,” he said.

The senator said his objective in raising the issue is to prompt the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate what he believes is systemic corruption inside the BIR involving the misuse of LOAs.

“Talagang inabuso po ito, habang busy pa ang lahat dito sa flood control mess or scam,” Tulfo stressed.

He also named examiners as among the personalities involved in the alleged scheme. Tulfo said former BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. should also be included in the inquiry, noting that the alleged abuses happened under his watch.

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During the deliberation of the Office of the Ombudsman’s 2026 budget today, November 21, 2025, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta pressed for accountability over the Ombudsman’s past public remark suggesting that “bending the law” is acceptable so long as it does not break it.

“Does he believe that these decisions of the Supreme Court are wrong, and that he is not bound by its decisions?” Marcoleta asked.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the budget sponsor for the Ombudsman, relayed the position of new Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla: that the rule of law is “supreme” and that he intends to abide fully by Supreme Court decisions.

“Therefore, he is not correct, and there is no basis for flaunting those statements publicly declared—that bending the law is alright, provided that he is not breaking the law,” Marcoleta asserted.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian countered that the Ombudsman’s previous remark was merely a figure of speech. This did not satisfy Marcoleta, who stressed that the Ombudsman, as head of a high office, should not use phrases that could mislead the public into thinking that bending the law is acceptable.

According to Sen. Gatchalian, the Ombudsman conveyed that he is “strict” about the rule of law and has no intention of bending it. Marcoleta argued that the public deserves explicit clarification.

Sen. Gatchalian thanked Marcoleta for raising the issue, saying the discussion itself serves as the Ombudsman’s clarification before the Senate: that he will abide by the rule of law and will not bend it “to serve any other purpose.”

Marcoleta then moved to require a personal apology from the Ombudsman, but the motion was not permitted.

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In the budget deliberations for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for 2026, Senator Raffy Tulfo confronted the agency over what he described as alleged substandard work in one of its major irrigation projects. 

The senator presented a video taken by his staff in September 2025, showing visible cracks and leaks at the Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Bulo SRIP) located in San Jose, Balog-balog, San Jose, Tarlac.

The Bulo SRIP was declared completed by NIA in 2022. However, the agency claimed that the project sustained heavy damage during Typhoon Carding later that same year. NIA said the contractor had already repaired the typhoon-related damages.

Tulfo disputed this, stating that based on his staff’s recent inspection, no rectification work had been made, contradicting NIA’s assertion.

“Why is it that the project gets destroyed by just a single typhoon? What kind of materials were used — substandard ba? O super mega substandard?” Tulfo said. “Ganun ba ang lahat ng proyekto ng NIA? Konting bagyo lang, nagigiba?”

NIA maintained its position, insisting that the project met all required standards and had even been accepted by its beneficiaries. The agency also defended itself by stressing that Typhoon Karding was a Category 4 storm—strong enough to cause significant structural damage.

Still, Tulfo argued that this reasoning was insufficient.

“Alam naman ng NIA na lahat ng probinsya na nilalagyan nila ng irrigation project ay dinadaanan ng bagyo. Isn’t it about time to set a higher standard — one that can withstand even a signal no. 4 typhoon?” he asked. “All year round, binabagyo tayo, and all year round nasisira ang mga irrigation projects. Why?”

Tulfo further criticized the alleged superficial repairs done to the structure after the typhoon.

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“Ang nangyari diyan, pininturahan at nilagyan ng palitada — konting kiskis para maging malinis. Ganun ang ginawa ng NIA,” he said.

In response, NIA denied the claim, saying the repairs were not merely cosmetic.

“According to NIA, it is not just palitada; there was actually a steel casement,” Sen, Kiko Pangilinan stated.

The exchange culminated in a bold challenge from Tulfo as he proposed that NIA officials accompany him and his staff back to the project site. If he proves that the agency provided false information and failed to conduct repairs, he insisted that someone from NIA must resign. 

NIA officials agreed to the senator’s challenge.

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