The Senate Committee on Finance approved the P10.707 billion budget for the Office of the President for 2024 in just 20 minutes on Wednesday.

The Senate committee also approved and preserved P4.56 billion in confidential and intelligence funds under the proposed budget.

The approval comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s representative, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, received no questions from senators.

In early September, the House Committee on Appropriations passed the proposed budget for Marcos' office.

House committee members hastily ended the budget discussion and referred the suggested allocation to the plenary, citing the "long-standing tradition of parliamentary courtesy" accorded to high-ranking officials.