MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will see its budget halved under the House Committee on Appropriations following Vice President Sara Duterte's absence and failure to justify the proposal.
The panel unanimously decided to cut the OVP’s budget from the original P2.026 billion in the 2024 National Expenditure Program down to P733.2 million.
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Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina), the committee's senior vice chair, said that the panel members' vote was unanimous.
“The committee on appropriations decided to recommend a reduced budget for the Office of the Vice President,” Quimbo said at a press briefing on Thursday September 13.
The panel slashed the following items from the OVP:
- Supplies - P200,000,000
- Personnel services for consultants - P92,408,000
- Financial Assistance - P947,445,000
- Rent/Lease Expenses - P48,306,000
- Utility Expenses - P5,000,000
This P1.293 billion taken from the original proposal will be divided into between the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health (DOH).
A total of P646.58 million will go to the DOH’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients and P646.58 million will go to the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation
Duterte has fallen out of favor with the House of Representatives, who used to give her the time bound parliamentary courtesy, decided to forgo the chance to defend her office's budget.
She has traded barbs with numerous lawmakers, raising questions of leadership after she refused to answer for a few items in her budget in what was meant to be a public accountability hearing.
Duterte later went on record to say that the OVP does not need any budget this year.