House panel approves Office of the President P 10.7 billion budget for 2024
The House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday approved the P10.7-billion budget of the Office of the President for 2024 without interpellations after 30 minutes.
Abra Rep. Ching Bernos, vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, swiftly made a motion to end the budget deliberations of the Office of the President after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin made his opening statement.
“As part of our long-standing tradition and practice of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations to extend parliamentary courtesy of the Office of the President, Mr. Chairman, may I move that we terminate the budget hearing of the Office of the President?” Bernos said.
The 2024 proposed budget of the Office of the President is 58 percent higher than last year, which was at P8.9 billion.
Makabayan bloc lawmakers, including ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, objected to the motion.
Minority Leader and 4PS Rep. Marcelino Libanan asked the three lawmakers to retract their objections so they could make their manifestations.
Castro, the deputy minority leader, withdrew her objection.
After a one-minute suspension of the hearing, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo approved the motion.
“I will rule first on the pending motion. The objection has been withdrawn and therefore the motion to terminate the budget briefing is hereby approved,” Quimbo said.
“No Madam Chair, I object,” Manuel responded.
“Point of order. An objection was withdrawn but we haven’t decided on the motion to terminate. Now Madam Chair, I objected at the last minute because I don’t believe that it is proper for us to terminate the deliberations without the manifestations becoming part of the records of the House,” he said.
At this point, there was tension among members of the panel on the decision to terminate the deliberations.
Deputy Speaker and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab argued: “Even if we look at the records, even if we replay the tapes, the objection came after the ruling. The original objection of Congresswoman Castro was withdrawn. And so I think the ruling of the chair would hold.”
Manuel said the hearings should not be rushed.
“The deliberation is being railroaded again. Again, we should give the members the right and the time to let them have their final objections. Madam Chair, we should not rush this,” he said.
Quimbo called on the lawmakers to settle down as she banged her gavel.
“Let us just please have some order in the House, please. So at the point that the objection was withdrawn, then automatically the motion to terminate the budget briefing was carried. So that is the effect of the withdrawal,” Quimbo said.
“Please note to honorable Manuel that the hearing has not yet been suspended and therefore the manifestation of the minority members will be recorded,” she added.
In her manifestation, Castro said the Office of the President owes the public an explanation as to how its budget is being used.
“Courtesy? Respect? Don’t government agencies owe more courtesy and respect to the citizens? Especially the Office of the President. They owe the people an explanation of how they spent and how they will spend every cent that has been entrusted to them,” Castro said.
She also said that “secrecy and silence” should prevail in the Congress.
“The people are asking why are there billions of secret funds while there is an immediate need for aid, free education, medical services, and affordable housing. Can the P4.56 billion CIF (confidential and intelligence funds) of the Office of the President lower the prices of rice, other food in the market, electricity, water, and other basic commodities?” Castro asked.
“This representation believes that the refusal of the Office of the President and of the Office of the Vice President to undergo public deliberation on their budget, especially when it comes to confidential and intelligence funds, is one of the many reasons why their ‘black budget’ should be abolished,” she said.
Citing that Vice President Sara Duterte admitted that she requested P125 million in confidential funds from the Office of the President, Castro asked for a copy of the letter and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s approval.
For his part, Manuel said: “The highest form of courtesy in this country should be extended to the Filipino people, who have the right to know how the public funds are used and that should prevail at all times. Respect the rights of the people.” Jaspearl Tan/DMS
