MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte said that no agency has the monopoly of government services.

VP Duterte made the remarks during the panel deliberation of the House Committee on Appropriations for the proposed P2.037-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“On the matter of OVP projects being similar to the mandate of other government offices, there is certainly no agency that has a monopoly of government services,” the Vice President said during her opening remarks before members of the House panel.

The Vice President’s statement came amid calls from some lawmakers to realign some of the funds—supposedly allotted to OVP projects—to other line agencies with similar functions.

VP Duterte stressed that no office of the government should be so helpless as to deny assistance to a person in distress.

“It is then my lawful duty to give aid to any person who reaches out to the OVP seeking relief. I must do justice to every man. And I intend to do so,” VP Duterte said.

“After all, the duty of the government is to afford our countrymen with faithful public service,” she added.