Speaker: All agencies to go through strict budget scrutiny

POWER OF THE PURSE The House of Representatives on Monday starts plenary debates on House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 general appropriations bill. Speaker Martin Romualdez vows that the House will closely guard against abuse and corruption as the chamber scrutinizes the proposed national budget. —Lyn Rillon

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday asserted the House of Representatives’ zero tolerance for what he described as “hypocrites” in office, who talk of accountability while misusing public funds, and assured the public that the chamber would not be pressured into favoring anyone in its scrutiny of the proposed P6.35-trillion national budget for 2025.

Addressing House members on Monday’s plenary session to mark the start of debates for the 2025 general appropriations bill, Romualdez said: “As legislators, we are not only guardians of the national purse but also stewards of the people’s trust. Every peso we allocate in this budget carries with it the sweat and sacrifice of millions of Filipinos and it is our duty to ensure that these resources are spent wisely, effectively and with absolute accountability.”

But the Speaker pointed out that they could not ignore “the reality that there are those who seek to undermine our work, critics who speak of accountability while conveniently ignoring their own misuse of public funds.”

READ: Sara Duterte says Romualdez, Co manipulate national budget allocation

He stressed that the House would not tolerate hypocrisy and blatant disregard of public trust, vowing that all agencies would undergo stringent budgetary scrutiny.

“This House of Representatives has always stood by principles of transparency and accountability, contrary to what some may claim,” Romualdez said, adding that they have worked tirelessly “to ensure that every government agency’s expenditure is examined with careful scrutiny and that every program funded by the people’s money is aligned with the country’s priorities.”

Preventing abuse

The head of the 300-member chamber emphasized that they must ensure that public funds are “responsibly allocated, well-spent and protected from abuse,” pointing out that public funds are not for the personal benefit of a few and it is their duty as the people’s representatives to make sure every peso is used for the development and welfare of Filipinos.

“Let it also be known that this House favors no one. We do not bend to pressure or special interests. We remain vigilant in upholding the principles of good governance and fiscal responsibility,” Romualdez asserted.

He vowed that the House would closely guard against abuse and corruption as the chamber works with urgency and integrity in scrutinizing next year’s proposed national budget, ensuring it serves the Filipinos’ best interests.

For his part, Ako Bicol party list Rep. Elizaldy Co, chair of the House committee on appropriations, rallied his colleagues to prioritize the approval of the 2025 national budget, saying its prompt passage was “critical to ensuring that government programs are implemented efficiently, eradicating poverty and benefiting every Filipino, especially those in most need.”

OVP justification

The Office of the Vice President (OVP), whose proposed P2-billion budget for 2025 has been slashed by the House to P733 million, on Monday justified its projects and its satellite offices by touting that more than two million beneficiaries were served in the current and previous years under Vice President Sara Duterte.

The OVP said that as of Aug. 31, a total of 2,027,164 individuals have been provided with assistance from its office through medical, burial, and relief programs.

Of this, the OVP noted that more than 1.5 million, or 67 percent, were able to secure their assistance through its 10 satellite offices and two extension offices nationwide.

“The satellite and extension offices are strategically located in different areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for accessibility of medical and burial assistance and other social services offered by the OVP,” Duterte’s office said in a statement.

For 2023, the OVP said it was able to process burial assistance to 24,338 individuals and medical assistance to 94,163 beneficiaries nationwide.

The OVP’s satellite and extension offices came under intense scrutiny at the House, which left several lawmakers puzzled and shocked at the huge amount of rent it was paying for the additional offices.

Access to assistance

Zambales Rep. Doris Maniquiz, during her interpellation at the OVP’s second budget hearing last week, estimated that Duterte’s office was spending at least P53 million a year or about P4.4 million monthly in lease payments, citing observations from the Commission on Audit.

Quezon City Rep. Franz Pumaren told the House appropriations committee in the same hearing last week that Duterte’s predecessor, former Vice President Leni Robredo, had a monthly rental of around P345,000 for her office at the Quezon City Reception House.

Duterte and other officials of the OVP snubbed the budget hearing and instead sent letters to concerned House leaders to say that she already submitted the necessary documents about her budget proposal for next year.

Defending the existence of these satellite and extension offices, the OVP said this was aimed to “bring closer assistance of OVP to indigent, marginalized and underserved communities since the areas identified were based on accessibility, volume of traffic, mode of transportation, presence of hospitals and high people traffic.”