House panel defers OVP budget for 2025 anew

Vice President Sara Duterte (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Stephanie Sevillano, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday deferred anew the deliberations on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) after Vice President Sara Duterte and her entire office skipped the second hearing.

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon moved to defer the termination of the deliberation, expressing “frustrations” over unanswered questions about the OVP’s budget and Duterte’s absence from the proceedings.

Bongalon said the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget amounting to PHP2.037 billion would be subject to potential budget cuts and have certain funds on hold.

“I move that we defer the termination of the deliberation of the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President, subject to conditions either number 1, reduce the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President, and number 2, place the certain funds on hold until further discussions are held. I so move,” he said.

The House appropriations panel approved Bongalon’s motion.

Duterte earlier sent a letter to the House of Representatives addressed to Speaker Martin Romualdez and committee chair Elizaldy Co, saying that she already articulated her position in her previous opening statement during the first hearing and defers to the committee regarding the OVP’s 2025 budget.

“We defer entirely to the discretion and judgment of the committee regarding our budget proposal for the upcoming year,” Duterte said in a letter submitted to the House.

The Vice President said her office had already provided the public a “detailed” presentation for the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025.

On Aug. 20, the OVP posted the proposed budget breakdown for fiscal year 2025, citing 87.98 percent of the proposed allocations for programs and projects.

These include the majority of target allocation for financial assistance and subsidies worth PHP947.5 million for medical, burial, and educational assistance as well as Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day program; PHP401.2 million for supplies and materials or welfare goods for the PagbaBAGo campaign, Disaster operations, R.I.C.E. program, Kalusugan food truck, Pansarap program, wheelchairs, and fuel for Libreng Sakay, among others; and PHP443.71 million for the Central and satellite offices rent, utilities, maintenance, and support expenses for operations.

The remaining 12.02 percent, meanwhile, shall be allocated for personnel services, equipment, and vehicles of the OVP.

The committee previously deferred the OVP’s 2025 budget hearing on August 27 after Duterte declined to answer questions from lawmakers, particularly regarding the notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) against PHP73 million out of the PHP125-million confidential funds disbursed by the OVP in 2022.

Duterte, in a recorded video interview a day before the second hearing, explained her refusal to defend the proposed budget during the Aug. 27 hearing, alleging that some lawmakers are taking advantage of the opportunity to launch their political attacks against her.

“Nakikita namin na ginagamit siya ng ibang mga miyembro, iilan na mga miyembro ng Kongreso para umatake sa akin dahil hindi kami magkasama sa pulitika (We are seeing that some members are using it, a few members of the Congress are using it to attack me because we’re not politically associated),” she said.

The Vice President also disagreed being called a “spoiled brat” after she let go of the chance to defend the budget in a question-and-answer format.

Meanwhile, Co accused Duterte of evading crucial issues hounding her, such as the OVP’s spending of confidential funds within 11 days, through “diversionary tactics”.

“Malinaw na diversionary tactic ang video message ni VP Sara. Tulad ng Tatay niya, gusto niyang ilihis ang usapan sa mga tunay na isyung kinakaharap niya. Ayaw niya kasing mapagpaliwanag (The video message of VP Sara is clearly a diversionary tactic. Just like his dad, she wants to evade discussions regarding real issues hounding her. She does not want to explain),” Co said.

He said the Vice President has been very disrespectful of people’s representatives who have only been doing their job.

“Hindi siya sanay sa pagbubusisi ng budget. Ang hindi niya pagdalo sa budget hearing ay kawalan ng respeto at paggalang sa mga kinatawan ng bayan. Meron pang winalanghiyang mga sagot sa mga tanong. Pang-iinsulto ito sa mga kongresista na ginagawa lang ang kanilang trabaho,” Co said.

Co highlighted the role of Congress in scrutinizing budgets, emphasizing that Duterte’s lack of transparency undermined the legislative branch’s duty to represent the public’s interests.

“Kapag ang isang kongresista ay nagtatanong sa paggamit ng budget – siya’y nagtatanong hindi lang bilang isang indibidwal kundi bilang kinatawan ng mga Pilipinong bumoto sa kanya (If a lawmaker asks about the utilization of the budget–he or she is not only asking as an individual but also as representative of the Filipinos that voted for him or her),” he said.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, meanwhile, urged the COA to make a final report soon on the questionable disbursements of the OVP, together with its recommendations.

He said Duterte may be held liable for graft if she cannot justify PHP73.2 million in intelligence expenses disallowed by the COA.

“More than just allegations of mismanagement, she may be held liable for graft, for possible violation of the anti-graft laws, if she cannot adequately explain and justify the adverse findings, and if the COA does not accept her explanations and justifications,” Dalipe said.