OVP can still operate with lower budget — lawmaker

November 28, 2024 | 4:20pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has approved the proposed 2025 budget, adopting the reduced allocation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

However, Sen. Grace Poe said the OVP can still carry out its functions.

The House of Representatives slashed the OVP’s budget from P2 billion down to P722 million in the General Appropriations Bill. Poe said the OVP still retained its socio-economic programs and as far as she could see, the office remained capacitated to do work. 

“Sinigurado natin, na mayroon silang kakayanan na gawin pa rin nila ang kanilang mandato. Alalahanin natin na hindi nakatali lamang sa budget ang pagiging epektibo sa pamamalakad,” Poe said in a press briefing on Wednesday. 

(We made sure the OVP still have the capacity to do their mandate. Let us remember that effective management is not merely tied to budget.) 

Part of effective management is also working with other government agencies to avoid overlapping functions, including similar assistance programs offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development as well as the Department of Health. 

There is still P600 million they could still use for social programs, Poe added. Some of the activities the OVP submitted to the Senate include medical assistance, burial assistance and free transportation. 

Should the OVP feel like their budget for social assistance programs are too little, they could always work with the appropriate department, Poe said. 

“Nagkaroon naman ng pagkakataon dito sa pagdinig, nung committee hearing, na bigyan ng justification, kung gusto nila itaas ‘yung budget. Wala naman formal request from the OVP na taasan ang budget at alam naman natin dito sa mga committee hearings, ‘pag tataasan and budget, kailangan may mangagaling sa kanila na breakdown at justification,” Poe said. 

(There was a chance during the hearing, during the committee hearing, that justification be given, if they want to increase the budget. There is no formal request from the OVP to increase its budget, but there needs to be a breakdown and justification.) 

However, Poe said there is still a chance for the OVP budget to be increased during the bicameral conference committee.   

Allies of Duterte in the Senate said they tried to increase the OVP budget.

Sen. Bato dela Rosa, a known ally of the Duterte clan, has said it will be difficult to increase the budget in the bicam. He said that senators would not even allow to increase the budget during the caucus, let alone the bicam. 

Duterte has become increasingly volatile, causing a political storm after she revealed that she has plans to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she dies. 

Poe said Duterte’s remark has nothing to do with the Senate’s decision. The committee report for the budget was done even before Duterte’s proclamation.