Senate Declines OVP's Request to Fund Food for VP Duterte's Impeachment Trial Team

The Philippine Senate has effectively declined a request from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to fund food for Vice President Sara Duterte's staff and legal team during her impeachment trial, citing budget constraints. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian told reporters that the chamber "cannot afford" to shoulder the catering service. He clarified that while the OVP had requested that Duterte's aides and legal counsels be provided with food and drinks of their choosing at the chamber's expense, the Senate faces budget limitations. Gatchalian explained that the Senate has to prioritize its budget hearings and committee hearings, making it difficult to accommodate the OVP's request. Sen. Erwin Tulfo, also from the majority bloc, echoed Gatchalian's sentiments, stating his opposition to the OVP's request for the same budgetary reasons. Meanwhile, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, a critic of the Vice President, suggested that the Senate has an obligation to fund her team and might expose itself to scrutiny over its spending. Ridon described the OVP's request as sounding more like a "demand" and implied that the OVP might be seeking its own caterer with someone else footing the bill, potentially opening the Senate to a procurement case. The impeachment trial of the Vice President has drawn significant public attention, raising discussions about the use of public funds. One of the articles of impeachment against the Vice President involves the alleged misuse of P612 million in confidential funds.