Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Appears in Senate for OVP Proposed Budget’s Deliberation
The Senate approved the P889 million proposed budget of the office of Vice President Sara Duterte in less than five (5) minutes.
The deliberations of the proposed budget of the different government agencies and offices are ongoing in the Senate. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian replaced Sen. Bato dela Rosa in defending the proposed budget of the Department of National Defense (DND). Dela Rosa sent a letter to the upper chamber that he will not be able to attend the budget deliberation.
Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s absence at the Senate budget hearing came amid his camp’s claim that he is not hiding. His lawyer, Atty. Israelito Torreon, recently claimed that the Senator is still in the Philippines and might never leave the country because of his love for the nation. Amid a reported arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), he waits for the course of actions of the government to be presented.
Previously, amid a reported ICC arrest warrant, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that she can recommend an international lawyer to Sen. Bato dela Rosa if he is interested in getting one. Today, aside from the deliberation of the proposed budget of the DND, the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) was also set for discussion in the upper chamber.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte personally went to the Senate for the deliberation of the proposed budget of her office amounting to P889 million. Based on a report on GMA News, the proposed budget of the OVP was quickly approved in the upper chamber in less than five (5) minutes.
Based on the report, during the plenary session, Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito moved to terminate the deliberations on the proposed fund of the office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte which was immediately approved by Senate President Tito Sotto. The earlier proposed fund of the OVP amounted to P733.198 million under the GAB or the General Appropriations Bill and the Senate committee on finance proposed to raise it.
Contrary to the turn of events in the Senate, the House of Representatives punished Vice Pres. Sara Duterte by previously cutting her office’s proposed budget by P156 million.