Enrile proposes to raise OVP’s 2016 budget to P500 million
Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
After scrutinizing the proposed budget of the Office of the President (OVP) in 2016, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile softened his stance on Vice President Jejomar Binay’s office that he even proposed to almost double its proposed budget raise next year.
From the P230.5 million budget of the OVP as approved by the House of Representatives, Enrile proposed to raise it to P500 million.
“Mr. President, I have no question on this budget except to say that it’s so small. Kawawa naman ang Vice President natin, dinagdagan man lang sana,” the opposition leader said.
Senator Loren Legarda, who was defending the OVP’s budget as chair of the Senate committee on finance, said she was open to adjusting “because any of our colleagues could be the next vice president.”
Legarda was referring to Senators Francis Escudero, Alan Cayetano, Ferdinand “Bongbong”Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV, who are all running for vice president in 2016.
“Gawin man lang nating half a billion,” said Enrile. Enrile, Binay, and former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada head the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
“I think we should not denigrate the Office of the Vice President; everybody will bow to him if something happens to the President,” the minority leader added.
Legarda and Senate President Franklin Drilon, who was presiding over the session, said the chamber would consider Enrile’s proposal at the appropriate time.
“All my cuts will go to the Office of the Vice President,” Enrile added, referring to his proposed budgetary cuts in some agencies of government.
Before this, Enrile scrutinized the budget of the OVP, particularly the P250 million budget for intelligence expenses and another P250 million for confidential funds of Malacañang.
“My question is: why is the President having an intelligence fund when he’s an intelligence user? He’s not an intelligence gatherer,” he said, referring to President Benigno Aquino III.
