Sen. Migz Zubiri Speaks on OVP Budget for 2025
MIGZ ZUBIRI – The Senator claimed that some of his colleagues in the Senate want to raise the budget for Vice President Sara Duterte’s office.
One of the most controversial government office budget now is the fund for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2025. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office is asking for a P2 billion budget for next year but the House of Representatives granted her office less than half of the amount that they want in their proposal.
The House of Representatives approved a P733 million budget for OVP in 2025. The P1.2 billion cut set by the lower chamber of the Congress on the budget for VP Sara Duterte’s office came after the Vice President’s absence during hearings.
Duterte was first involved in a spar with some of the House members on the first hearing regarding the OVP’s budget proposal for 2025. It was followed by Vice Pres. Duterte skipping the resumption of the deliberation of the OVP budget proposal which left several members of the House disappointed.
The absence of the Vice President at the hearing sparked talks about the possibility of defunding her office. Senate President Chiz Escudero confirmed that the Congress really has the power to give a zero budget on a government office but, in the recent years, it has not done it to an OVP.
Skipping the deliberation of the budget proposal of her office at the House of Representatives, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte said that she is leaving the decision to the House members. She also skipped some other hearings set by the lower chamber.
Recently, former Senate President Migz Zubiri expressed a claim on the alleged stand of some senators regarding the budget for Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office in 2025. Based on a report on GMA News, the Senator said that some of his colleagues want a slight increase on the OVP budget for next year.
Speaking during the Kapihan sa Senado, Sen. Migz Zubiri said that some senators want a raise on the budget allocation for the OVP. He stressed that the Vice President attends the inquiries set by the Senate and answers questions of the senators.
“Yung appetite ng ibang senador is dagdagan pa nang kaunti… She [Duterte] was very engaging with the senators, so walang problema,” Zubiri said.
However, based on the report, Sen. Migz Zubiri acknowledged that it is too early to say what may happen. Reportedly, a bicameral conference of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will likely settle the differences regarding the budget to be given to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office.