Senate to start 2025 budget deliberations on August 13 —Escudero

The Senate will start its deliberations on the proposed P6.35-trillion national budget for next year on August 13, according to Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Tuesday.

"Inaasahan namin magsisimula ang DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) debates hopefully sa August 13," Escudero said in an ambush interview.

Since the elections will be held next year, Escudero said there are enough laws that would prevent the use of the 2025 national budget for electoral campaigns.

"May batas na tayo diyan. Bawal gamitin ang anumang pondo ng pamahalaan tulad ng ayuda para sa kampanya ng sinumang kumakandidato. May Comelec regulations na rin kaugnay niyan at maraming kandidato na-disqualify nu'ng 2022 elections dahil din d'yan," he said.

(We have a law for that. You can't use government funds like cash assistance for the campaign of candidates. There are Comelec regulations against that and many had been disqualified in the 2022 elections because of that.)

Among the debatable issues in the budget that Escudero is expecting to be tackled is the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) of law enforcement units, particularly in light of the issuance of arrest orders against suspended Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo and Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy.  

"Tiyak ko mabi-bring up 'yan sa budget (That will surely be brought up during the budget deliberations)," he said.

"Hindi por que palpak ngayon ang PNP eh tatanggalan namin ng intelligence fund, eh di lalong pumalpak sila kung saka-sakali. Titingnan namin 'yung utilization nila ng intelligence fund. Saan ba napupunta 'to ara hindi nila magampanan yung trabaho nila sa kabila ng pondong binigay namin sa kanila," he added.

(We will not remove their intelligence fund just because they are not performing well currently because that would only make things worse. We will look at how they are utilizing their intelligence fund. Where is it going that they can't do their jobs despite the amount we've given them.)

The Senate will also look into the allocation of CIF to appropriate agencies, the Senate leader added.

Escudero likewise explained that there are enough safeguards for the use of CIF.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday said the proposed CIF for 2025 was reduced to P10.2 billion, lower compared to 2024's P12 billion.

Meanwhile, the budget of agencies with low absorptive capacity will not be automatically reduced, Escudero said.

It is the task of the Senate to find out the problems that affect their utilization of their budgets, he added.

"Alamin natin 'yung rason kung bakit mababa. Ano naging problema at patuloy nating ibigay ang kinakailangang suporta kung talagang kailangan," he said.

(Let's determine the reason for the low utilization. Let's determine the problem and if needed, we will provide the appropriate support.)

The 2025 budget will be the first proposed national budget that will be scrutinized under Escudero's leadership. —KBK, GMA Integrated News