President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is still open to Vice President Sara Duterte’s ideas, especially if they can help the Filipino people. According to Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro, the President is willing to accept any useful suggestion from the Vice President.
“The President is not rejecting or closing his doors to the Vice President. If her suggestions are helpful to the public, they will be accepted,” Castro said.
However, VP Sara earlier claimed she had a plan to lower rice prices but did not share it with the government because she did not want to help the President.
Castro stressed that it is not President Marcos who is stopping VP Sara from helping the people. The government listens to any meaningful suggestions.
This statement comes after VP Sara’s camp said that her service was affected because she was not given a big role in the government. They also said her projects lack support due to the limited budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Regarding the budget issue, Castro explained that VP Sara’s proposed 2025 budget of P2.03 billion was not defended properly in Congress. As a result, the OVP only received P733 million.
For the 2026 proposed budget, the OVP was given P903 million, which is P170 million higher. If VP Sara wants a bigger budget, Castro said she must explain and defend it better to lawmakers.
