Imee dismayed over ‘disregard’ of appeal to hike OVP budget

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Metro Manila, Philippines – A dozen senators appealed to increase the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget during a closed-door caucus, but it was disregarded, said Senator Imee Marcos.

“Medyo masama ang loob namin nina Senator Bato (dela Rosa), Senator Bong Go, Senator Robin Padilla, Senator Villar. Marami kami. Kasi isang dosena kami yata o labing isa na nagtaas ng kamay at sinabi dagdagan yung budget ni OVP. Kaya lang binalewala eh,” Marcos said in a DWIZ radio interview on Saturday, Nov. 30.

[Translation: We're a bit disappointed – myself, Senator Bato (Dela Rosa), Senator Bong Go, Senator Robin Padilla, and Senator Villar. There were many of us. About a dozen or eleven of us raised our hands and said to increase the OVP budget. But it was disregarded.]

Marcos said this happened during the caucus at the senators’ lounge on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

“Sa caucus kasi informal. Sino ba ang nagpupumiglas na nadagdagan? E informal lang, salita lang, tapos nagtaasan ng kamay. E maliwanag naman ang dami namin. Pambihira naman. Sana binigyan daan kahit paano,” Marcos recalled.

[Translation: In the caucus, it was informal. Who were the ones pushing for the increase? It was just informal, just talking, then we raised our hands. It was clear how many of us there were. It's really frustrating. I wish they had at least considered it.]

Both the House and Senate reduced the OVP funding to P733 million, down from the P2 billion proposed in the National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacañang.

“Sabi ko bakit hindi dagdagan, hindi raw humingi. E sabi ko, hindi naman yun ang point. Tignan nyo yung NEP, klaro-klaro ng NEP. Ba't ba tayo takot-takot sa Kongreso?” Marcos said.

[Translation: I asked, "Why not increase it?" They said the OVP didn't ask for it. I replied, "That's not the point. Look at the NEP (National Expenditure Program), it's clear in the NEP. Why are we so afraid in Congress?]

“Who's afraid of Congress? Why?” asked Marcos, the president’s sister, who maintains her friendship with Vice President Sara Duterte despite the latter’s verbal threats to her brother.

In response, Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the committee on finance, said 18 senators voted to pass the budget, including the OVP’s, on third reading at the session hall after the caucus. Only one senator, Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, abstained.

“The approval of the national budget for 2025 was an outcome of a judicious deliberation. All senators present in plenary voted for it, except for one, who abstained,” Poe said in a text message to NewsWatch Plus.

“The new budget will capacitate all agencies to perform their mandate to deliver quality service our people need. Efficiency in disbursement, utilization, and rationalization of the people’s money is of the essence,” she added.

Poe said the next bicameral conference committee meeting to resolve issues in the House and Senate budget versions will be on Dec. 9 or 10, as it is still with the technical working group.