House-OK’d OVP budget will still change — Escudero

MANILA, Philippines — The P733-million proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025, which has been approved by the House of Representatives, could still increase or decrease during senators’ deliberations, according to Senate President Francis Escudero.

Escudero said he has yet to see the budget proposal and would wait for the submission of Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on finance, which is in charge of matters on funds for expenditures of the national government.

“I haven’t seen (Vice President Sara Duterte’s) budget yet, to be honest. I will probably see that when Senator Grace submits the committee report because I will definitely change it and it will change, either increase or decrease,” Escudero told dzBB radio in an interview.

The House of Representatives approved last Wednesday the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 on third and final reading which reduced the appropriations of the OVP to P733 million from P2 billion.

Escudero reiterated that Poe’s committee is in charge of the matter.

“My only reference point is the version that she will represent. That will go through the ordinary legislative process just like other departments, whose budgets will be cut or increased, and that will be discussed in plenary. And if someone wants to submit a motion, it will be voted on in plenary. I believe that all these things should be discussed and debated in plenary,” Escudero explained.

While he did not want to pre-empt and comment on whether or not the Vice President would attend the Senate budget deliberations, Escudero said committee deliberations are over so Duterte would no longer answer questions, and the senator-sponsor of the budget and not the head of agency would answer the questions of other senators.

During the House deliberations, some lawmakers raised the issue that the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowed P73 million, representing nearly 60 percent of the P125 million in the OVP’s confidential funds.

Escudero said the COA disallowances and other issues in the OVP budget appeared in the House budget hearing, but were not raised in the Senate finance subcommittee hearings.

“Again, there is a process. What should have been in the middle of the amendment proposal and if someone objects, it should be put to a vote. If no one objects, this is the proposed amendment to the OVP budget, whether fair or downward, that is what the majority is in favor of. That’s my belief and view about it,” he added.

The Senate president emphasized that it would be better if the Vice President would attend the plenary deliberation of the OVP budget since the Senate has already approved the funds on the committee level.