Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

The House Committee on Appropriations is recommending a P1.293-billion reduction to the proposed P2.037-billion budget next year of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte. 

This was bared to reporters on Thursday morning, Sept. 12 by appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo. 

The P1.293 billion represents a whopping 63 percent of the OVP budget as spelled out in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the precursor of the national budget. 

Quimbo underscored that the significant budget slash was still a recommendation, and that House plenary would ultimately decide on it as discussions on P6.352-trillion national budget enter the period of debates.

"Ang reduction na yan ay ililipat po sa dalawang ahensya (The reduction will be transfered to two agencies)...for two programs, the DSWD AICS program which is the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations, and the DOH MAIFIP or the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients," Quimbo said. 

"In other words, dalawa pong mahalagang social protection programs ng ating gobyerno (these are two important social protection programs of our government)," said the veteran congresswoman.

Quimbo floated this proposal two days after Vice President Duterte wrote House Speaker Martin Romualdez to basically tell the chamber to do whatever it wants to the OVP's 2025 budget. 

"We defer entirely to the discretion and judgment of the Committee regarding our budget proposed for the upcoming year," the Vice President wrote.

Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Quimbo said the P1.293-billion cut will be taken from the following items in the OVP budget: financial assistance, professional services, utility expenses, supplies and materials, and lease expenses. 

However, she said the appropriation for “personal services,” meaning salaries, was retained in the remaining OVP 2025 budget of P733 million under the proposal.  

“We are not touching that, we are preserving jobs in the OVP,” she said. 

She said the call to cut the OVP budget by 63 precent was unanimous among the 139 members of the appropriations panel.

Undergoing first reading during plenary session Wednesday night, Sept. 11 was House Bill (HB) No.10800, or the legislative equivalent of the P6.352-trillion NEP. The measure is also referred to as the General Appropriations Bill (GAB). 

BUT FIRST, READ THIS:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/11/ovp-under-sara-spends-p4-4-m-in-monthly-rent-how-does-this-compare-to-leni

"Pagkatapos po mapadala ang House version ng GAB to the Senate, ,magkakaroon syempre ng Senate deliberations. After ma-approve ang Senate version, mayroong pang bicameral meeting. After that, magkakaroon pa po ng ratification, ,meaning babalik pa po yan to both [House] and the Senate. After that, magkakaroon pa po ng Presidenti's approval because as you the President can veto," Quimbo said. 

(Once the House version of the GAB is sent to the Senate, the Senate deliberations will of course take place. After the approval of the Senate version, there is still the bicameral meeting. After that, we would still have a ratification, ,meaning the budget will go back to both the [House] and the Senate. After that, there will still be the Presidenti's approval because as you the President can veto.)

"In other words, ganun po kahaba ang proseso ng ating budget approval...at malinaw po na napakarami pong taong involved dito sa pag-apruba ng budget, hindi lang po dalawang tao," the Marikina solon added in an obvious jab at Vice President Duterte. 

(That's how long the budget approval process is...and clearly a lot of people are involved here in the approval of the budget, not just two people.)

The Vice President claimed in the Sept. 10 letter that she believed the budget was controlled by just two people, Speaker Romualdez and appropriations panel chairman Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.