Malacañang justifies cut in RITM budget

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang justified the proposed cut in the 2022 budget of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), a key institution in the government’s pandemic response, saying COVID-19 testing was being handled largely by the private sector.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque also said there could be other reasons. The RITM faces a P170 million cut in its 2022 budget.

—LEILA B. SALAVERRIA