The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will no longer pursue its request for P500 million worth of confidential funds under the proposed 2024 budget which has been deemed submitted for plenary approval on Thursday, November 9.
This was according to Senate Committee on Finance chief Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who read a statement from the OVP during the plenary deliberations of OVP's proposed P1.874 billion budget.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/9/sara-gives-up-p500-m-confidential-funds-for-ovp-as-senate-approves-its-proposed-p1-874-b-budget-for-2024
This was according to Senate Committee on Finance chief Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who read a statement from the OVP during the plenary deliberations of OVP's proposed P1.874 billion budget.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/9/sara-gives-up-p500-m-confidential-funds-for-ovp-as-senate-approves-its-proposed-p1-874-b-budget-for-2024
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Actually, we're in receipt of a statement from the Vice President we discussed earlier.
00:07 And according to her, the OVP can only propose a budget to support the safe implementation
00:12 of its PAPs or programs, activities and programs to alleviate poverty and promote the general
00:18 welfare of each and every Filipino family.
00:21 Nonetheless, they will no longer pursue the CIF or CF.
00:26 And the reason why is because it is seen to be divisive and as the Vice President, she
00:31 swore an oath to keep the country peaceful and strong.
00:35 So just as I commended the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Migrant Workers and the
00:44 other agencies which willingly gave up their CIF or the CF or did not even ask for these
00:52 funds given this latest manifestation by the Vice President, I commend her, Mr. President,
01:01 for now categorically stating to this house that it's not a deferral to our wisdom.
01:10 She does not want it anymore, Mr. President.
01:14 So if that is how I understand the statement, I commend the Vice President.
01:18 With in mind that budget proposals coming from the House going to the Senate, the Senate
01:27 can, may propose or concur with amendments.
01:34 That would be the operative words coming from the Constitution itself.
01:38 So it's no longer lodged with the Office of the Vice President, but the decision should
01:46 come from this chamber, Mr. President, just to manifest that constitutional provision.
01:53 But we agree that there was a nod, a concurrence coming from the head of the office itself.
02:00 Thank you.
02:01 Thank you.
02:01 [end]