The House Committee on Appropriations chaired on Tuesday suspended the briefing on the P2.037-billion proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) until Sept. 10 following the refusal of Vice President Sara Duterte to clarify issues about the OVP’s confidential fund allotment in 2023, as well as its 2025 proposed budget.
Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun moved to defer the OVP budget briefing.
“Nakakalungkot. Nandito tayo lahat para malinawan lalong lalo na sa budget ng OVP pagdating sa confidential fund at yung budget niya ngayong 2025. Kaya lang hindi na ako magtatanong dahil alam ko paulit-ulit ang isasagot. Nakaka-frustrate lang dahil ito ay pera ng bayan. Dahil hindi naman masagot ni VP Sara yung katanungan ng mga miyembro, may I move to defer the hearing of the OVP budget,” Khonghun said.
Hearing no objection to Khonghun’s motion, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, who was presiding over the meeting, ruled that the briefing shall continue on Sept. 10.
Prior to the suspension, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman expressed hope that Duterte would provide more clarity to issues raised during the hearing, such as the 2023 confidential fund of the OVP and its 2025 proposed budget.
“My sincere wish is magkaroon ng clarity. Given the lack of substantive answers, I am left with concerns how we members of Congress can make an informed decision regarding the budget of the OVP, and how we can follow our mandate if there is apparent lack of cooperation,” Roman said.
The panel spent almost five hours scrutinizing the OVP’s P2.037-billion proposed budget for 2025 which is 8.05% higher than this year's budget of P1.88-billion.
Duterte said the OVP has received audit actions regarding the confidential fund of the institution.
“We have submitted our responses and we assure our full cooperation with the ongoing audit,” she repeatedly answered to queries about the 2023 confidential fund of the OVP.
Duterte also gave the uniform reply to House members asking about the 2025 proposed budget of the OVP, “I would like to forego the opportunity to defend the OVP budget through a question-and-answer format, and I will leave it to the House to decide on the budget submitted.”
She questioned why the issue of confidential funds was being raised when the OVP has no confidential fund in its 2025 proposed budget. She also stressed that the committee’s invitation to her only cited the 2025 proposed budget as the topic for the OVP budget hearing.
Historically, she said the medical and burial assistance programs have always been continuing projects of the institution.
“The legacy projects that we envision, however, include a permanent office for future vice presidents, a vice president museum, and for the OVP to have its own charter,” she said.
She lamented that the political climate surrounding the institution “hinder” the pursuit of the these projects.
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