VP’s budget approved

Holding no deliberations, the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee on Tuesday approved the “very small” P443.95-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in just two minutes.

In a hearing attended by Vice President Leni Robredo herself, the committee led by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles gave the first-round approval of the OVP’s budget, sending it on its way to the plenary.

“With due deference and respect to the Vice President … we will dispense with the presentation and we terminate this budget briefing of the Office of the Vice President and we will consider it as approved,” Nograles said upon motion by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

The proposed 2018 OVP budget is 3.58 percent higher than its P428.62-million purse for 2017.

Robredo told reporters the slight uptick in the “very small” budget for her office was accounted for largely by increased spending for personnel services, which grew by 36.71 percent to P83.58 million from the current P61.14 million after vacant staff positions had been filled up.

However, she said there was a drop in the maintenance and other operating expenses.