House panel defends OVP’s massive budget cut

Low budget utilization, redundant social programs, aside from the high rent for multiple offices were the main factors that led to the massive cut of P1.3 billion from the proposed budget of the Office of Vice President for 2025, a ranking House lawmaker said Friday.

The allocation for the office of Vice President Sara Duterte plunged to P733.198 million from the initially proposed P2.026 billion after the House Committee on Appropriations “unanimously” decided on a P1.293 billion slash, citing the OVP’s “overextended” offices and initiatives “overlapping” with those of other state agencies.

However, on top of the aforementioned, deficiencies flagged by the Commission on Audit (CoA), including the OVP’s underutilized funds, prompted the lawmakers to reach the decision, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the panel’s senior vice chairperson, said in an interview.

“The third thing that came out of the CoA findings is the funds that are not being used... low budget utilization is the usual problem… at the same time, there are implementation problems,” Quimbo said.

“For example, the unlisted beneficiaries, lack of documentation, and delivery problems,” she noted.

At Tuesday’s second round of deliberations on the OVP’s budget, lawmakers cited the 2023 audit report on Duterte’s office — which has yet to be uploaded to the CoA website — revealing the office’s poor liquidation practices.

Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said that P64.44 million used to purchase rice sacks, PanSarap Buns, and other food packs under its distribution of welfare goods program was improperly liquidated.

Audit findings showed the necessary documents were lacking, including proof of acknowledgment that the beneficiaries received the goods and post-activity reports confirming there was a distribution or activity.

In addition, the CoA also flagged the OVP’s Kalusugan Food Truck, a six-wheel truck serving as a mobile kitchen to respond to calamities, after finding that the food stocks under this program were nearly expired, not found in storage or placed in unventilated storage.

Luistro had expressed concern that “this might be another case of ghost deliveries.”

Not yet final

While the panel seemed resolute about its recommendation, Quimbo clarified that the budget reduction was not yet final and was still subject to the approval of the House plenary. Floor debates will begin on Monday.

According to Quimbo, the OVP’s allocation could still be amended if lawmakers propose to augment it subject to the House’s approval.

“There is still one more chance for OVP in the plenary [although] they are not allowed to speak. The [budget sponsor] is their only spokesperson, although of course the agency could whisper the answers to the congressman,” she said.

The budget slash followed Duterte’s failure to justify her expenditure of P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 — of which P73.287 million was disallowed by the Commission on Audit — and her skipping the second budget hearing last Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Duterte said her office could still function with a “zero budget.”

Prior to Quimbo’s announcement, the Vice President said she already knew of the House’s plan to “defund” her office, adding that it was part of the political attacks against her.

Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, the committee chairperson, had previously indicated that he would recommend transferring the funds requested by Duterte for social services to other line agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), citing her “poor track record” in handling public resources.

Co made the statement after Duterte accused him and House Speaker Martin Romualdez of “meddling” with the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as its secretary.

Co, however, asserted that Duterte was only “diverting” the issue from her need to explain the alleged irregularities in managing the funds of both the OVP and DepEd, which she headed for nearly two years.

The panel later decided to realign the funds cut from the OVP budget to the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), each getting an equal share of P646.58 million.

Quimbo said the fund transfer was anchored on the fact these two programs had been “tested” in catering to Filipinos in need.