Senators OK lower budget for oversight committees

Senator Ralph Recto. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senators have agreed to allocate some P20 million annual budget for each oversight committee in the Senate or a total of P400 million next year, Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Tuesday.

Recto said the P400 million budget for 2014 was down from this year’s P540 million allocation for oversight committees.

The 2014 budget, however, will be funded equally to 20 committees only compared to this year’s P540 million allocation for 35 committees.

From 35 oversight committees this year, Recto said the senators agreed to trim down the number to 20, and each would be getting P1.667 million  a month or a total of about P20 million each for the entire  2014.

“The budget I think will be cut from 2013 of P540 million to P400 million so I see a significant   savings of P140 million,” he told reporters in the Senate.

“Ang ipa-fund lang 20 oversight committees so pipiliin ngayon ng each senator which oversight committees ang may advocacy sya dun ( We will only fund 20 oversight committees so each senator will have to choose which oversight committees that are in line with their advocacies),” he said.

Recto’s estimated savings of P140 million from the rationalization of the oversight committee were a lot bigger than the P50 million estimate by Senate President  Franklin Drilon.