House panel quickly ends discussions on Office of the President's budget

The House appropriations committee on Tuesday terminated deliberations on the proposed P10.7-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2024 without fielding questions.

The termination, however, occurred after each of the three opposition lawmakers of the Makabayan bloc were allowed to make a two-minute manifestation.

The Makabayan bloc lawmakers mainly questioned the OP's decision to grant Vice President Sara Duterte's request for a P125-million confidential fund in 2022 even if such budget item was not provided under the 2022 national budget law.

They also asked about the P4.5-billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of the OP under its proposed P10.7-billion budget for 2024.

“Courtesy? Respect? Hindi ba’t mas mataas ang utang na courtesy at respeto ng mga ahensiya ng gobyerno sa mamamayan lalo na ang Office of the President?  Utang na magpaliwanag kung paano ginastos at kung paano gagastusin ang bawat sentimong pinagkakatiwala sa kanila,” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list said.

(Isn't it that government agencies especially the Office of the President owe the public more courtesy and respect? The public deserves an explanation as to how each centavo entrusted to them was spent and will be spent.)

Castro made the comment after Abra Representative Ching Bernos made a motion to terminate discussions on the proposed OP budget “due to longstanding tradition of extending parliamentary courtesy to the OP.”

“Since Vice President Sara Duterte admitted that she requested P125-million confidential funds from the Office of the President, may we request for the copy of that letter and the approval of the President? Tayo sa Kongreso, hindi natin dapat payagang manaig ang secrecy at silence samantalang napakalakas, uma-alingawngaw ang mga katanungan ng mamamayan: 'Bakit may bilyun-bilyong sinisikretong pondo samantalang patung-patong ang mga kagyat na pangangailangan para sa ayuda, libreng edukasyon at serbisyong medikal, abot-kayang pabahay,'” Castro added.

(We in Congress should not allow secrecy and silence to prevail while the public's question rings loud: 'Why are there billions of secret funds when there are many items that need funding such as financial aid, free education, medical assistance, and affordable housing?')

House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas, for her part, said that OP’s P4.5 billion CIF is just part of the P1-trillion budget under the President’s control which also include the unprogrammed fund and the special purpose fund.

Unprogrammed fund covers budget items to be funded provided there is an excess in target revenue collection, while special purpose fund is a lump sum fund which the President can realign to other agencies’ budget as needed.

“Nakakalula ang mga numero, pero sa huli’t huli, nagkakasya sa mumo ang mamamayang Pilipino habang mahigit P1 trillion ang nasa kontrol ni Marcos Jr.,” Brosas said.

(The numbers are dizzying, but in the end, Filipinos make do with the last grains of rice while more than P1 trillion is under the control of Marcos Jr.)

“Naniniwala kami na ang pagtanggi ng OP, pati na rin ang OVP, na sumailalim sa public deliberations ukol sa kanilang badyet lalo na sa confidential and intelligence funds nila ay isa lamang sa dumaraming rason kung bakit imbis na aprubahan ang kanilang mga 'black budget', ay dapat pa ngang i-abolish ang mga ito,” Brosas added.

(We believe that the OP's refusal, and also the OVP's, to go through public deliberations about their budgets especially with regard to their confidential and intelligence funds is one of the increasing reasons why their 'black budget' should not be approved but abolished instead.)

Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel, on the other hand, said that OP is accountable for the release of P125-million confidential fund to the Office of Vice President in 2022 even if it was not provided under the 2022 national budget, as well as its huge P4.5 billion confidential fund that almost accounts for half of its proposed budget.

“The OP has to explain bakit inaprubahan nito ang 1.25 million pesos na confidential fund for the OVP kahit na wala po iyon sa General Appropriations Act noong 2022,” Manuel said.

(The OP has to explain why it approved the P1.25 million pesos in confidential fund for the OVP even if it was not included in the General Appropriations Act of 2022.)

“The highest form of courtesy in this country should be extended to the Filipino people, na may karapatan po ang mamamayang alamin paano ginagastos ang pondo ng bayan, at iyon 'yung dapat manaig at all times. Galangin po natin ang karapatan ng mamamayan,” Manuel added.

(The highest form of courtesy in this country should be extended to the Filipino people who have the right to know how the country's funds are being spent, and that should be observed at all times. Let us respect our countrymen's rights.)

After Makabayan delivered their manifestation, House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Stella Quimbo of Marikina City resumed putting forward Bernos’ motion to terminate deliberations on the OP budget.

Bernos' motion was carried without objection.

Before Bernos made the motion to terminate, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the OP came to the House of Representatives bearing respect to its co-equal branch.

“I am here to give you the President's standing instructions to honor and respect Congress as the partner in promoting the people’s welfare and upholding the nation’s interest,” Bersamin said.

“In order for the OP to perform its various roles and discharge its myriad of duties efficiently, we are respectfully requesting a budget of P10.7 billion for fiscal year 2024,” Bersamin added.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) defended the action of the OP of allowing the transfer of funds to the OVP in 2022.

In a statement, the OES said that the office of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had approved the release of P221.424 million to the OVP, upon the latter's request.

According to the OES, the President is allowed to approve the releases pursuant to Special Provision No. 1 under Fiscal Year 2022 Contingent Fund.

Prior to the start of the deliberations, House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co of Ako-Bicol party-list said that the President bears the immense duty of upholding the rule of law, ensuring justice, and preserving the unity and welfare of the country, and that its proposed budget will enable the Chief Executive to fulfill its duty.

“The President  is the embodiment of our collective will, the guardian of our Constitution, and the protector of our rights and freedoms,” Co said.

“As citizens, we must appreciate the role it plays in shaping the present and future of our beloved Philippines,” Co added. —KG/RSJ, GMA Integrated News