House budget committee approves OP budget, but outlay for Robredo office cut

August 29, 2018

The House committee on appropriations approved Wednesday without any objection the budgets of the Office of the President (OP) and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the proposed 2019 P3.757-trillion national budget.

In less than 10 minutes, the proposed P6.773 billion OP’s budget was approved by the panel chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles following a brief presentation of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in the presence of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman made a motion to approve the budget of President Rodrigo  Duterte’s office and seconded by Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr.

In the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), the allocation of OP is 12.3 percent higher compared to this year’s P6.03-billion budget.

In less than 15 minutes, the Nograles panel approved the proposed P447.6-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2019.

But the allocation to OVP is P95 million lower compared to its 2018 P543-million budget.

In an ambush interview, Vice President Leni Robredo said the budget cut will affect livelihood programs for the poor.

Robredo said her office will seek help from the private sector to continue their programs. DMS