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NewsTranscript
00:00The budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2025 is recommended to be more than Php 1 billion, according to the House Committee on Appropriations.
00:11As part of the affected fund, the OVP is asking for financial assistance that, according to the committee, is equivalent to other agencies.
00:19Witness, Marisol Abdurrahman.
00:22From the more than Php 2 billion requested by the budget of the Office of the Vice President for 2025, the recommendation of the House Committee on Appropriations is equivalent to more than Php 1.2 billion and less than Php 733 million.
00:40More than half of the budget was reduced from the requested funds for financial assistance, supplies, personal services for consultants, rent or lease expenses, and utility expenses.
00:52According to the House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chair Rep. Stella Kimbo, the decision of the 139 members of the committee is unanimous.
01:01When it comes to regular programs, what came out of the hearing is, number one, it seems like there are a lot of offices. Why?
01:10Whereas the previous vice presidents did not have those nationwide offices.
01:16Number two, why are there a lot of social programs that are being implemented? It seems redundant.
01:25Kimbo refers to the social services of the OVP, which also includes DOH and DSWD.
01:33The Php 1.2 billion was recommended to two agencies, particularly the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations or IX of DSWD and Medical Assistance to Indulgent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MIP Program of DOH.
01:50It doesn't mean that the OVP's assistance will be reduced.
01:55What we are saying is, we will just transfer it to those agencies, and the OVP can get their allocation right there in DSWD and DOH, just like what the Congress and the Senate are doing.
02:12On August 27, when the OVP's last meeting on the OVP budget was held, VP Sara refused to answer any questions about confidential funds.
02:23We saw the timelines and we saw the script of the narrative of the attack on the office of the vice president with regard to confidential funds.
02:35Absolutely no plan, any conspiracy, if I may use that word, to attack. If I also may use that word. We are just here to discuss the budget.
02:50The vice president did not attend the budget deliberations on September 10, and in a letter to House Speaker Martin Romualdez,
02:57the OVP asked the committee to review their budget, asking if VP Sara's absence in the decision was due to something.
03:05Her absence did not shed light on many issues. That's what I think is affected. The lack of information.
03:18Should OVP be abused for sublending? Will it change?
03:22Let's see. I mean, we are open to anything.
03:25But Kimbo clarified, there are still many things to go through with the budget. There will be debates on the scenario.
03:32The Senate will still consider this and the President needs to sign it.
03:35We are continuing to get the plan of Vice President Sara Duterte, but she already said that her position is ready to work, even if they don't have a budget.
03:45But they sent pictures of their ongoing operation, such as the assistance to the affected areas in Baco or Cavite.
03:53For GMA Integrated News, I am Marisol Abdurrahman, your witness.
04:23For GMA Integrated News, I am Marisol Abdurrahman, your witness.