The House Appropriations Committee has officially concluded the budget hearing for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) today. However, Deputy Majority Leader and Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Jill Bongalon motioned to defer the termination of deliberations on the proposed ₱2.037 billion budget for the OVP for 2025.
This means that the next hearing for the OVP budget will take place in the plenary session.
In Bongalon’s motion, conditions were laid out that could potentially lead to a reduction in the OVP’s ₱2 billion budget. No objections were raised, and the motion was approved by the panel.
Bongalon expressed disappointment at the absence of Vice President Sara Duterte, as several questions, particularly concerning the alleged “excessive rentals” of OVP satellite offices nationwide, remained unanswered.
Meanwhile, several lawmakers attending the budget briefing noted that many services provided by the OVP are redundant with those offered by other government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Education (DepEd).
Representative Raoul Manuel also emphasized the OVP’s lack of unique services and suggested slashing Duterte’s budget, particularly for her socioeconomic programs.