Gatchalian questions Duterte’s absence at OVP budget hearing

MANILA, Philippines — Saying that agency heads traditionally appear before Congress to defend their budgets, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s absence at the Senate on Thursday to defend her office’s proposed P785.2-million appropriation for 2027. Instead of Duterte, her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, and other Office of the Vice