Robredo to pursue anti-poverty, pro-women advocacies

MANILA, Philippines - Incoming vice president Leni Robredo will work closely with the private sector in pursuing her anti-poverty and pro-women advocacies, her spokesperson said yesterday.

Georgina Hernandez said Robredo is set to meet with representatives from private organizations after her inauguration on Thursday.

“As of now, there are some private companies who have approached us and offered their help to VP-elect Leni in her anti-poverty and rural empowerment advocacies,” Hernandez said in a media briefing in Quezon City yesterday.

Robredo’s spokespersons have repeatedly said she would continue to work hard to serve the people even without a Cabinet position.

In her first 100 days, Hernandez said Robredo would visit provinces to personally talk to the disadvantaged sectors of society, including farmers and fishermen.

Hernandez said the vice president-elect will also work with the private sector in improving the nutrition of poor children and in empowering women.

She stressed that funds from private donors will not be coursed through the Office of the Vice President but will go directly to the communities.

“People who have the same aspirations will come together, VP Leni will just serve as a convenor,” said Hernandez.

True to her modest ways, Robredo will wear a simple dress to her oath taking, Hernadez said.

“She’s having a dress made for her for the occasion but it will be something that she can wear again for work,” she added.

Guests will be served simple Filipino fare like sotanghon, maja blanca, pichi-pichi, butchi with Choc-nut filling and different flavors of pandesal. Choc-nut is Robredo’s favorite sweet, according to Hernandez.

As of yesterday, Hernandez said there was no confirmation yet whether Robredo’s runningmate, former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II, will attend her inauguration. 

Binay for visitor

Also yesterday, Robredo received outgoing Vice President Jejomar Binay in her condominium in Quezon City where the latter vowed his support for his successor.

The meeting coincided with the 29th wedding anniversary of Robredo and her late husband Jessie.

“I was the one who initiated this meeting,” Binay told The STAR as he came out of the meeting.

“Perfomance depends on the person. If there’s a will there’s a way to serve the people,” Binay said in Filipino.

For her part Robredo described Binay as “very kind.”

“He told me that anytime I need his help he’ll be there. He’s very kind,” Robredo said.

Robredo said she invited Binay to her inauguration on Thursday at the Quezon City Reception House in New Manila but the latter declined, saying some people might put political color to his attendance.

“I told him I’ll invite him to my office on another occasion,” she said.

The two also discussed budget matters.

With Binay during his meeting with Robredo were his chief-of-staff Benjamin Martinez and political adviser Malou Tiquia.

Also present during the meeting were Robredo chief of staff Boyet Dy and her daughters Aika, Trisha and Jillian.

Inherited budget

When Robredo formally assumes office on June 30, she will inherit a budget of more than P400 million.

A report by Binay’s chief of staff Benjamin Martinez Jr. shows the Office of the Vice President (OVP) shall have spent P90 million by June 30.

That amount is less than a fifth of the P500-million OVP budget for this year. This means that Binay would leave Robredo about P410 million to spend for the rest of the year.

Nearly half of the OVP budget, or P220 million, is allotted for “financial assistance/subsidy,” as described in the 2016 appropriations law.

This item is what congressmen call the vice president’s pork barrel. The nation’s second-highest ranking official can use it to help people seeking financial assistance.

Members of the House of Representatives, including Robredo, used their outlawed P25-billion-a-year Priority Development Assistance Fund to extend financial aid to their constituents and fund projects proposed by them.

In the case of Binay, he used his financial assistance fund to help sick people, whom he referred to government hospitals with which his office has signed a memorandum of agreement for the financial assistance scheme.

It is not clear how much of the P90 million Martinez said the OVP would spend up to June 30 is “pork.” But clearly, the bulk of the P220-million “financial assistance/subsidy” appropriation would be available to Robredo.

A large part of the P90 million was spent most likely for “personal services” or PS, the budget language for salaries. The OVP has P48.8 million for PS for this year.

The P220-million “pork” is part of the P449.2-million allocation for maintenance and other operating expenses or MOOE of the OVP.

Aside from the financial assistance fund, the other huge MOOE items of the vice president’s office are P35.5 million for consultants, P59.7 million for travel, P37.5 million for representation expenses, P24.3 million for rent, P14.8 million for communication expenses and P22.8 million for supplies and materials.

This year’s OVP budget is more than twice the money Congress had allocated last year for Binay, who had only P222.6 million.

His “pork” then amounted to P86 million. He had P23.9 million for travel, P9.1 million for supplies and materials, P6 million for communication expenses, P13.5 million for consultants, P15 million for representation expenses and P8.9 million for rent.

During the hearings last year on the then proposed P3.002-trillion 2016 budget, senators had given the OVP a huge funding increase, expecting that one of their own would be elected Binay’s successor last May 9.

It was the first time the OVP outlay has hit the P500-million level. Previously, it did not exceed P250 million. It was only about P150 million during the time of former vice president Noli de Castro.

Robredo defeated five senators who aspired for the vice presidency: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gregorio Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Hopeful

Robredo, meanwhile, said she remains hopeful of getting the chance to personally congratulate president-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

She said she was trying to secure an appointment with Duterte but to no avail.

“I’m not losing hope,” Robredo said. “But I know he’s (Duterte) really busy with so many things, like forming his Cabinet, which I think is a very important matter,” she said.

Robredo said she has already made known to Duterte’s people that she would make herself available as soon as he sets a meeting.

Emerging as the next leader of the Liberal Party, Robredo also shrugged off the exodus of members to other political parties – especially Duterte’s PDP-Laban – after the poll defeat of LP standard-bearer Roxas.

“Things will settle down after the 17th Congress opens (on July 25). This (switching of parties) is a natural occurrence every time there’s a change in the administration,” she pointed out. “I think this is just a process that a political party has to undergo,” she said. – With Paolo Romero