MANILA — The House Appropriations Committee once again deferred the approval of the proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) during its session on Tuesday.
In the second deliberation, AKO BICOL Party-list Representative Jilting Bongalon proposed a motion to continue the hearings on the OVP’s budget. His motion included two conditions: reducing the proposed budget and placing certain funds on hold until further discussions.
“I move that we defer the termination of the deliberation of the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President, subject to conditions—either number one, reduce the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President, and number two, place the certain funds on hold until further discussions are held,” Bongalon stated.
This marks the second time the panel has postponed the budget approval.
“It’s simply that we pause on the discussion on the Office of the Vice President, but we will continue the discussion on the plenary,” explained Representative Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur, the OVP’s budget sponsor in the House.
He added, “Anything is possible. There is also a chance that it can be retained, depending on how the budget will be approved and what are the differences in the version from the ones that we approved and the ones that will be approved in the Senate.”
Adiong mentioned that there had been no communication between his office and the OVP since the first deliberation on August 27, although his office remains open to dialogue.
“I am still waiting for the Office of the Vice President to really reach out. But there is no indication that that would happen. But I am still open to communicate with the Office so that I can also obtain… Kasi there was a discussion on the submission of the documents required by COA. I also want to have those documents, so that once a member asks the same question again, I can also provide them the answer,” Adiong explained.
After the budget hearing, House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Zaldy Co responded to Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent allegations that he and Speaker Martin Romualdez were “controlling” the budget.
“Nakita natin kahapon ang Part 1 ng video message ni Vice President Sara Duterte kung saan nililihis na naman niya ang mga issue. Talagang tatak Duterte na yata ang pambubudol… pekeng sagot sa mga issue,” Co said.
He also revealed that during Duterte’s previous appearance in a budget hearing, her office requested food for her 100 bodyguards, although the food was left uneaten.
“Nag-iisa nga siyang humarap sa pagdinig ng Committee… pero sangkaterba ang bodyguards sa labas ng conference room. Humiling pa ng pagkain para sa 100 gwardiya na dala-dala niya, at hindi naman kinain. Hindi po ba pang-iinsulto at pag-aaksaya ito ng resources ng gobyerno?” Co remarked.
The Commission on Audit (COA) raised concerns over “deficiencies” in the OVP’s distribution of welfare goods, pointing out issues in documentation.
COA Audit Team Leader Fahad Bin Abdul Malik Tomawis detailed the lapses: “May mga lapses po doon sa existing guidelines and procedures ng OVP, wherein hindi po kasama doon ‘yung pag-submit nitong mga documents, such as the distribution list for the rice distributed to the beneficiaries through the deed of donation to the local government units or municipalities.”
He continued, “Deficiencies in the preparation and accomplishment of distribution list. The distribution list was not pre-numbered to easily validate and monitor the number of affected beneficiaries. Some of the list or distribution list lack necessary details or information such as date, time, name, type of relief item or the area or location of the activity. Then it is also stated in the report that the distributed portion of the distribution list was not properly signed by the concerned personnel.”
As a result, some lawmakers pushed for reallocating the OVP’s socio-economic program budget to other government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro emphasized that these programs overlap with what other agencies already implement. “Itong mga ito ay doble lang sa ginagawa ng mga agency at maiimprove lang ito,” she said.
Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel added, “Based on actual experience ay inefficient sa pag-provide ng services ang Office of the Vice President.” He called for the removal of the OVP’s budget for socio-economic programs, totaling P1.9 billion.
“Bibigyan pa ba natin siya ng P2 billion na ipanggagastos daw sa mahihirap? Ibigay po natin ito sa tamang ahensya. Huwag po natin hahayaan na waldasin na naman ang kahit pisong sentimo na dapat nating bantayan,” said Co.
However, SAGIP Party List Representative Rodante Marcoleta noted that the notice of disallowance from COA is still appealable, and the OVP has six months to respond to the commission.