MANILA. In this file photo, Vice President Sara Duterte briefed senators on proposed 2025 budget of the Office of Vice President (OVP).Senate of the Philippines photo

House panel wants OVP budget slashed by over P1.2B

Published on:

Sep 12, 2024, 4:58 am

THE House Committee on Appropriations has recommended the significant reduction on the proposed P2 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for fiscal year 2025.

House Appropriations Senior Vice Chair Stella Quimbo said that from the proposed P2,026,357,000 budget allocation for the OVP under the National Expenditures Program (NEP) 2025, it was lowered to P733,198,000.

Of the P1,293,159,000 budget cut, P200 million was supposed to be for supplies, P92.408 million for personnel services for consultants, P947.445 million for financial assistance, P48.306 million for rent or lease expenses, and P5 million for utility expenses.

Quimbo said the fund allocation taken from the OVP will be realigned to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (P646.579 million) and the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program (P646.580 million).

The House panel recommended the budget cut for the OVP after it deferred twice the deliberation on the matter.

During the first hearing for the OVP’s budget, Vice President Sara Duterte refused to answer the query of the lawmakers related to how the agency spends its budget.

In the second deliberation, no one from the OVP attended the hearing, which was taken by the committee as an “insult” to the institution.

Duterte earlier said her office is ready to continue working without any budget allocation from the National Government.

She said tapping the proposed budget for her office is part of “attacks” against her amid the prevailing political noise.

Duterte resigned last July as secretary of the Department of Education, as well as the vice chairperson of the anti-insurgency task force.

She cited the manipulation of the national budget by House Speaker Martin Romualdez and House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co as one of the reasons for her resignation. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)