For courtesy: Senate committee quick to OK P2.8-B budget for PNoy's office

MANILA, Philippines - Without any issue raised, the Senate committee on finance immediately approved on Tuesday the proposed P2.8-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2014.

Senator Francis Escudero, finance committee chairman, said the OP budget proposal breezed through the committee since no other member attended the hearing and no issues were raised when it was presented by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

Escudero said traditionally, the OP and the Office of the Vice President, are given due courtesies with respect to their budgets.

“There was no reason to stall the approval for plenary of the OP budget. Congress regularly gives courtesies to the office of the OP during budget deliberations. If there are any issues in their respective administrations and offices, these are directed to the departments and not to the office proper itself."

Under the proposed budget for Aquino's office, P641.132 million will be for personal services, P1.998 billion will be for maintenance and other operating expenses, while P183.4 million will be earmarked for capital outlay.

The proposed OP budget for 2014 is three percent higher than the 2013 budget of P2.73 billion.

It was approved by the Senate finance committee amid criticisms on the Special Purpose Fund (SPF) and the Presidential Social Fund (PSF), which is being considered as Aquino's pork barrel.

Escudero said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will defend the SPF while the PSF is not included in the OP budget and is just sourced from the income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

"All the lump sums that are being questioned by the public and the media or even the lawmakers fall under the DBM. They will address these issues during the plenary come November,” Escudero said.

The senator however said that even though the PSF does not go through congress, it is still subject to the rules and guidelines of the Commission on Audit.

Malacañang has insisted that the special funds at the disposal of the president are different from lawmakers' annual pork barrel, which he claims are being used for purposes of re-election.

"“Let me be clear, pork barrel is in the context of using it as a means of re-election,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said on Monday. "The President has no pork barrel because he is not up for re-election."

Related story: Palace: Noy funds different from PDAF