OVP budget cut from P2 billion to P733 million by House panel

FILE PHOTO: House committee on appropriations senior vice chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo says in a press conference on Thursday, September 12, 2024, that the panel recommended slashing the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget for 2025. She said the proposed OVP budget of P2.037 billion was reduced to only P733.198 million. | PHOTO: Facebook page of Teacher Stella Quimbo

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives committee on appropriations recommended slashing the proposed Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget of P2.037 billion for 2025 to only P733.198 million.

Panel senior vice chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said the OVP budget was cut by P1.29 billion, affecting the social service programs of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, and that lawmakers intend to realign that money to other government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH).

Of the P1.29 billion, Quimbo disclosed that the panel recommended allocating P646,532,796 to DSWD’s AICS, while the other P646,533,796 to DOH’s MAIFIP.

READ: Sara Duterte OK with zero OVP budget

“The committee on appropriations decided to recommend a reduced budget for the Office of the Vice President and the reduction shall be split by the DSWD AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation) program and the DOH MAIFIP (Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients) program,” Quimbo said in a press briefing on Thursday.

“This is a committee decision and the committee on appropriations has 139 members and with respect to the budget cut of the OVP ito po ay naging (this is a) unanimous decision among members,” she added.

READ: Sara Duterte’s spending draws more Congress scrutiny

“Hindi pa ito final approval ng Congress recommendation pa lang po ng committee on appropriations for the plenary,” Quimbo, however, clarified.

(This is not yet the final approval of Congress, it is just a recommendation by the committee on appropriations for the plenary.)

Quimbo revealed that plenary debates on the proposed 2025 national budget will begin on September 16 and are expected to end on September 25.

Earlier, Duterte said she does not mind having her office totally defunded, adding that she sees it as part of an alleged coordinated attack against her.

“We also heard that there will be defunding — the Office of the Vice President’s budget will be defunded. We also heard that it’s possible they will only give the Office of the Vice President a budget of only P1. We are ready. I am ready in the Office of the Vice President to work even without a budget, Duterte said in Filipino in the video message released on Wednesday.

“Our operations are small. We can certainly work even without a budget. We know that’s part of the attack. So we will continue to do what we need to do for the people,” she added.

Last September 10, Duterte also released a video message alleging that the government budget is merely controlled by Speaker Martin Romualdez and appropriations committee chairperson Rep. Zaldy Co, and that both lawmakers manipulate it for their own benefit.

On the same day, Duterte did not show up on the budget hearing of her office and sent an explanation letter instead to Romualdez and Co.

No official from her office likewise appeared during the hearing.

Earlier, Duterte brushed off being called a brat, saying that such labels against her were part of attacks from political opponents and critics.

Duterte also maintained that she responded to every question thrown at her regarding her office’s 2025 budget proposal, but that lawmakers simply did not like her replies.