Bato on hiking OVP budget: ‘Impossible dream’

Metro Manila, Philippines – A Duterte ally in the Senate seemed resigned to the fact that Congress will no longer increase the substantially reduced Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget for next year.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Wednesday likened the proposal to raise the OVP budget to an "impossible dream."

The Senate has approved a P733-million budget for Vice President Sara Duterte, mirroring the allocation of the House of Representatives. This was included in the proposed P6.532-trillion national spending plan which the chamber passed on final reading on Tuesday after discussing amendments in an all-senators caucus.

Asked about the development, Dela Rosa responded with a line from the song, “The Impossible Dream,” in the musical, “Man of La Mancha.”

“To dream an impossible dream, to fight an unbeatable foe,” Dela Rosa sang.

The senator said other colleagues “tried to make adjustments” to the OVP budget but failed.

“Wag na lang niyo kami pag away awayin (Please don’t pit us against each other). We respect the leadership of the Senate,” he said.

When asked about the OVP’s failure to submit documents justifying the need for additional funding, Dela Rosa responded, “Justification is not needed. We need mercy.”

Dela Rosa said he no longer expects the bicameral conference committee, composed of members of the House and Senate, to increase the OVP budget in the reconciled version of the General Appropriations Bill.

In a separate press conference, Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the committee on finance, said the OVP could still formally appeal to the bicam to justify the need for additional funding.

“Sen Bato can be as vocal as he wants and if he has good reason to justify the increase pwede naman yun pero ang para sa akin nga siguro, request and to make sure na hindi redundant,” Poe said.

[Translation: Senator Bato can be as vocal as he wants, and if he has good reason to justify the increase, that’s possible. But for me, perhaps they should submit a request and make sure that it’s not redundant.]

Poe also defended the Senate majority's decision to uphold the P1.3 billion cut in the OVP budget, saying the P733 million allocation is sufficient for the office to fulfill its mandate. Of this amount, she noted, P600 million can still be spent for socio-economic programs.

Poe also pointed out that some OVP programs overlap with those of other agencies.

“And then, number three, when we had our committee hearing, and subsequently after that, wala namang naging formal request na taasan (the OVP made no formal request for a hike) and also the justification for that increase,” Poe stressed.

The bicam will convene on Thursday, Nov. 28.