Bato dela Rosa doubts hike in OVP's 2025 budget after bicam

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa expressed doubt Wednesday that the current P733 million proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2025 will be increased after the bicameral conference committee (bicam).

Dela Rosa made the remark after the Senate approved on third and final reading its version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which retained the House of Representatives' budget cut for the OVP from the original P2 billion to P733 million.

Senate finance committee chairperson Grace Poe earlier said that the budget for the OVP will be determined during the bicam.

"'Di nga nakalusot dito sa atin sa caucus, dun pa sa bicam pa (It was not allowed during the caucus, what more in the bicam)," Dela Rosa told reporters in an ambush interview.

He was referring to the senators' caucus held Tuesday afternoon before the chamber approved the P6.352-trillion budget bill on second and third reading.

According to Senator JV Ejercito, there was a heated exchange among the senators on the OVP's budget, but they were able to arrive at a "compromise" after a long discussion.

For his part, Dela Rosa said he along with Senators Bong Go, Joel Villanueva, and Imee Marcos "tried to make adjustments."

With the decision of the body to maintain the budget of the OVP at P733 million, Dela Rosa said he respects the Senate leadership to avoid disagreements with his colleagues.

"We respect the leadership of the Senate. 'Yun na lang... Ayaw namin magkagulo ang aming institution," he said.

On the lack of justification and documents for the restoration of OVP's originally proposed P2 billion budget, Dela Rosa said, "We need mercy. Justification is not needed."

Vice President Sara Duterte earlier said that around 200 personnel of the OVP could lose their jobs should the Congress reduced their budget for 2025.

Duterte also said that some projects of the OVP, specifically the free bus rides and financial assistance provided in its satellite offices, may be affected by the budget cut.—AOL, GMA Integrated News