Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Speaks on Budget Proposal Issue of the OVP
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President revealed that the Congress can really give a zero budget to the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
The budget proposal of the OVP for 2025 is surrounded by several issues. Vice President Sara Duterte was involved in heated arguments with Senator Risa Hontiveros during the Senate deliberation. She also had a spar with some House members during the budget deliberation at the House of Representatives.
Hontiveros noticed that some assistance programs of the OVP is similar with the assistance programs of the other government agencies. She wanted to make a motion for the re-allocation of the funds for the said assistance programs.
The Senator also questioned the P10 million budget allotted for the distribution of the book entitled Isang Kaibigan. The said book was written by Vice Pres. Duterte herself. The Vice President accused the lady Senator of politicizing.
At the House of Representatives, Vice Pres. Duterte had a heated exchange of statements with some of the House members. ACT Teachers party-list France Castro did not like the Vice President allegedly not answering the questions. On her part, Duterte claims that she does not like her answer but she is answering.
The House deliberation was rescheduled. However, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte did not show up at the resumption of the deliberation which earned her a “bratinella to the max” comment from Castro. It sparked the talks that the OVP may be defunded or given zero budget.
Recently, Senate President Chiz Escudero spoke on the possibility of the Congress granting a zero budget for the OVP or another government office or agency. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Senate President admitted that it is possible but, recalling the recent years, the Congress has not resulted to the said decision.
“I would not want to preempt the House or Senate. Suffice it to say that it is possible given that Congress has the ‘power of the purse’, but has never happened to the OVP nor to any agency in recent years,” Escudero said.
Based on the report, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero expressed his hope that “the seeming impasse between the OVP and the House will be resolved”. According to the Senate President, while a drama may add color to the boring deliberations of the budget proposals, it will not help the country in any way.