Leni says OVP budgetary cut will hurt poor communities

Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday pleaded with her former colleagues in the House of Representatives to restore some P100 million in proposed allocations that were axed from the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) 2019 budget.

In contrast, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea Jr. did not have to make a similar appeal as the House appropriations committee approved in less than 10 minutes President Rodrigo Duterte’s budget request of P6.77 billion for next year.

Livelihood assistance

Robredo noted that the OVP had originally sought a budget of P549 million for next year. But the Department of Budget and Management approved only P447.68 million.

“Our office has been used to working within our means. The funds slashed (from our budget) are not (intended) for operations, but for livelihood assistance,” Robredo told lawmakers during a committee hearing chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles.

Same budget as last year

The former Camarines Sur representative then appealed for the adoption of the same budget allocated to the OVP last year.

“(Cutting our budget) would mean that we would not be able to continue with our livelihood assistance to our adopted LGUs (local government units) (which) are the poorest, the farthest, of our communities,” Robredo added.

Nograles vowed to look for ways to accommodate Robredo’s request even as he reiterated that other departments also suffered budgetary cuts.