House panel delays fate of OVP budget, inquiry turns into tense debates

Metro Manila, Philippines – It took four hours for the House appropriations committee on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to scrutinize the Office of the Vice President’s proposed budget next year even if the proponent has opted out of the deliberations.

The panel ended up deferring action on the P2.04-billion proposal and decided to leave its fate up to the plenary session.

It was a rare move in the congressional budget process, especially for an office as high as the vice president, which is usually given the courtesy approval similar to the Office of the President.

No show

Proceedings began an hour late as lawmakers waited for Duterte and her representatives to show up.

By 10 a.m. committee vice-chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo confirmed no one from the OVP would attend the budget hearing.

In a statement, Vice President Sara Duterte said she wrote to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and House Appropriations Chairman Elizaldy Co stating that she is leaving it up to Congress to decide on the proposal.

“The OVP has submitted all necessary documentation to the House of Representatives - Committee on Appropriations, including a detailed presentation on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025,” Duterte wrote in her letter dated Sept. 10.

Ahead of the meeting, the OVP released a recorded interview where Duterte accused Romualdez and Co of controlling budget allocation.

Before deliberations began, a number of lawmakers gave their sentiments.

“She may not like sitting with us here in the House but… she’s accountable to the people and she has a sworn duty to this Constitution,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said.

“Pagbo-boycott ito…. Wala pa akong natatandaan na ahensya ng gobyerno or Executive branch na binoycot ang Kongreso dito sa budget hearing and deliberation. Ibig sabihin nito, betrayal of her oath of office,” added France Castro, Duterte’s staunch critic and ACT Teachers party-list representative.

[Translation: This is boycotting the hearing… I don’t remember any government agency or executive branch that has done this to our budget deliberations. This means, a betrayal of her oath of office]

Tense debates

While there were no signs of Duterte in the inquiry - some of her political allies tried to defend her absence, erupting tensions among lawmakers.

One attempt was SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to terminate the budget proceedings, citing reasons of parliamentary courtesy.

“It did not happen before. Now ang tanong ko, paano nangyari noong nakaraan at nangyayari ngayon?...You may not like the person, you may not like their presence here but you should respect the OVP,” said Marcoleta.

[Translation: It did not happen before. Now, my question is how did this happen last time and why is it happening now?...You may not like the person, you may not like their presence here but you should respect the OVP]

Quimbo said there was no motion to terminate the inquiry in the previous hearing. She then ruled to vote on Marcoleta’s motion.

Forty-five house members were against ending the deliberations. Only Marcoleta and Davao region lawmakers Rep. Claude Bautista and Rep. Isidro Ungab was in favor.

Tensions heightened when Rep. Caraps Paduano from Abang Lingkod party-list explained why he voted to continue the proceedings.

“The courtesy being given to OVP is accorded if she’s present in today’s hearing. How can you give that courtesy when in fact she’s absent,” he said.

“Was the President of the Philippines present? [during the budget hearing]” Marcoleta interrupted Paduano.

“Are you recognized, Congressman Marcoleta?” Paduano responded.

Not free from scrutiny

A number of lawmakers scrutinized Duterte’s spending in previous years.

Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro asked how the OVP spent for social services programs, including the distribution of welfare goods.

Luistro said there were P65 million in unliquidated funds in the distribution program, according to a report from the Commission on Audit.

She also criticized the office’s “Kalusugan Truck” – a mobile kitchen project during calamities.

“The food items are near expiry… Two, foods are not found in the storage. And they are placed in unventilated storage. Madam Chair, I understand that this is not a huge amount, that this is the same observation in the budget of the DepEd,” said Luistro.

Raoul Manuel, Kabataan party-list representative, also proposed to reduce the socioeconomic recovery funds of P1.9 billion.

“Mabuti pa na sa ibang ahensya ng gobyerno diretso iyong ating mga kababayan for services,” he said.

[Translation: It’s better that our citizens go to other agencies to seek social services]

Hard to defend

OVP budget sponsor, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Adiong, admitted it would be difficult to defend the proposal in plenary.

Adiong said he personally reached out to Duterte after the Aug. 27 inquiry but the OVP has yet to respond.

“Courtesy is given as a privilege and as such, privilege is not given freely, it is earned,” said Adiong.

He said nothing is sure until it clears the bicameral committee.

“Anything is possible pero (but) there’s also a chance that it can be retained, depending on how the budget will be approved and what are the differences in the version from the ones we approve and the ones that will be approved in the Senate,” he said.