Senators: Debates on OVP, AKAP budgets held behind closed doors

Metro Manila, Philippines – Breaking from tradition, the Senate skipped public debates on amendments to the proposed 2025 budget, as lawmakers confirmed intense discussions during a closed-door session.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the committee on finance, delivered a summary of the committee amendments in Tuesday’s plenary session following an hour-long Senate caucus.

In her speech, Poe highlighted more funds for health facilities, housing, and the military modernization program, among others, though she did not specify exact amounts.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito then said there were "no other individual amendments," and the chamber voted to approve the budget bill second and third readings.

Senators usually debate amendments on the floor. When asked about skipping this tradition, Ejercito explained that the amendments were already thoroughly discussed in the caucus.

“Diniscuss naman dun yung mga important items. So, wala naman nang nag-raise ng issue kasi napag-usapan na before we went out again to vote for it,” Ejercito told reporters.

[Translation: The important items were discussed there. No one raised any issues because everything had already been talked about before we went back out to vote on it.]

Asked if there were “heated debates” on the controversial funding for the Office of the Vice President and the cash aid Ayuda para sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP), Ejercito replied, “Definitely.”

“Kaya medyo tumagal because of those items (That's why it took a bit longer because of those items),” he said.

No addition to OVP budget yet

In a separate interview, staunch Duterte ally Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said he requested a budget increase for the OVP, which suffered a P1.3-billion cut in the House-approved General Appropriations Bill.

“Yan po ang pakiusap ko sa lahat kanina. I asked them, sana po ay magkaroon rin po ng pagkakataon, ang Office of the Vice President, magkaroon ng funds for social services,” Go said.

[Translation: That was my request to everyone earlier. I asked them, I hope that the Office of the Vice President will also have the opportunity to have funds for social services.]

Go said a number of other senators also sought to augment the budget for her office, though he did not specify who they were or the amount they requested.

Zero budget for AKAP

Meanwhile, the AKAP, a House-initiated social assistance for minimum wage workers, remained unfunded in the Senate version, despite a hefty P39 billion allocation by the House.

Senators have criticized House insertions and questioned the creation of a separate program that duplicates the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation of the Social Welfare Department. In her speech, Poe said the Senate prioritized augmenting the AICS instead.

“In this chamber, we made sure that the assistance goes straight to the beneficiaries. Sa inisyatibo ni Vice Chair Imee Marcos, pinalawig natin ang Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations o AICS upang matulungan hindi lamang ang mga naging biktima ng sakuna, emergency, o pang-aabuso, kundi pati na rin ang mga hirap sa buhay dahil sa kakarampot na kita mula sa trabaho,” Poe said.

[Translation: In this chamber, we made sure that the assistance goes directly to the beneficiaries. Through the initiative of Vice Chair Imee Marcos, we expanded the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) to help not only those who are victims of disasters, emergencies, or abuse, but also those struggling in life due to meager income from their jobs.]

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House will fight for the AKAP budget, saying it will benefit 4 million “near poor” Filipinos nationwide.

Next step: Bicam

The Senate and the House will next convene the bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences in their versions of the budget bill.

Poe said senators “need to consult our House counterparts” on the OVP and AKAP budgets.

Seventeen out of 23 senators are members of the Senate contingent, including Poe, Ejercito, Senate President Chiz Escudero, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, and Senators Cynthia Villar, Bato dela Rosa, Pia Cayetano, Win Gatchalian, Bong Go, Loren Legarda, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Joel Villanueva, Migz Zubiri, and Mark Villar.