Sara Duterte blames politics for likely end of some OVP projects

Vice President Sara Duterte pays her respects to former President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo moments before the deliberation on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) starts on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. The House of Representatives committee on appropriations decided to continue its scrutiny of the OVP’s 2025 budget. (Gabriel P. Lalu/ INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is faulting the “political climate surrounding the [Office of the Vice President]” for the possible discontinuation or non-fulfillment of some projects of the institution.

During the continuation of the House committee on appropriations hearing on the proposed P2.037-billion 2025 budget of the OVP on Tuesday, Duterte mentioned in her opening speech that:

“Historically, the medical and burial assistance programs have always been continuing projects of the institution. The legacy projects that we envisioned, however, [include] a permanent office, for future vice presidents, a Vice President Museum, and for the OVP to have its own charter.”

“Unfortunately, the latter projects may never come to fruition given the political climate surrounding the institution,” she added.

READ: OVP 2025 budget bid still under scrutiny at House: No quick OK this time

Duterte also blamed politics over how financial aid is being distributed among government agencies — and particularly to OVP, notably amid remarks that her projects are just like what other government offices implement.

“On the matter of OVP projects being similar to the mandate of other government offices. There is certainly no agency that has the monopoly of government services. No office of the government should be so helpless as to deny assistance to a person in distress. After all, the duty of the government is to afford our countrymen with faithful public service,” she said.

“Corollary to this, is the issue of politics being involved in relation to the national budget and release of financial assistance. We need not go further than the statement of Sen. Imee Marcos during the Senate budget hearing, wherein she corroborated our claim and said: ‘Ang sasabihin ko lang eh hindi naman sa barangay lamang napupulitika ‘yung ayuda, pati dito sa mga Senador, pati sa ating Pangalawang Pangulo’,” she added.

READ: Amid textbook lack, P10 million for Sara Duterte book tagged ironic

OVP’s P2.037 billion allocation under the 2025 National Expenditures Program (NEP) submitted by the Executive Branch is higher than the P1.885 billion allocation it had under the 2024 NEP but slightly lower than its  P2.259 billion allocation under the 2023 NEP.

Recently, some House members slammed Duterte for being absent during the State of the Nation Address in July, for criticizing the government, and for flying to Germany while Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and a strong southwest monsoon were lashing many parts of the country.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and its affiliate groups nevertheless called on Congress to scrutinize the OVP’s budget utilization in the past years, particularly the P125 million confidential funds for 2022 which was reportedly used in just 11 days.