Senate panel OKs P8.2-billion budget of OP

MANILA, Philippines — With hardly any questions asked, the Office of the President’s (OP) proposed P8.2-billion 2021 budget got the approval of a Senate subcommittee in less than an hour on Monday.

Also breezing through the panel, headed by the President’s former aide Sen. Bong Go, was the P715.65-million budget of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

No lawmaker delved into the details of the OP’s spending plan, P5.4 billion of which would be for the Presidential Oversight Program.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea led the presentation of the OP’s budget.

“OP’s proposed budget was formulated based on directives, policies and priorities of the President, and the tools necessary to receive them,” Medialdea said.

Sen. Sonny Angara expressed support for the OP’s budget and posed no questions.

Angara said the COVID-19 pandemic had placed added demands on the President and his staff.

“We in the legislative are here to support as we did in Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan 2, and if there is added support needed, of course we will be very supportive,” he said.

He also said the debates on the OP and PMS budgets have “traditionally been very swift.”

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also backed the OP’s budget and said it could even be increased.

The OP and PMS budgets would be up for discussion again when the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the spending bill begin in November.