Vice President Sara Duterte said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should not allow lawmakers to “meddle” with the national budget, which originates from a bill that is itself based on a proposal from the executive branch.
The executive branch submits its National Expenditure Program to the House of Representatives, where budget bills originate, every year.
The NEP is based on targets and projections set by the Development Budget Coordinating Committee, proposals from government agencies, and coordination and consolidation by the Department of Budget and Management.
The NEP is subject to scrutiny by both chambers of Congress, which hold hearings on the proposed budgets of various agencies and offices.
“Dapat kontrolado ng President ‘yung budget. Dapat kung ano ‘yung lumalabas sa budgeting system from the Regional Development Council, paakyat sa National Development Council, paakyat sa Cabinet level at kung ano ‘yung napag-usapan based on development plans, yun ang nasusunod,” she said in an interview at The Hague, the Netherlands Thursday, Aug. 28.
“Dapat hindi pumapayag ang Pangulo na pakialaman ng legislators ang budget. ‘Yun lang yung dalawang bagay diyan. Dapat alam niya kung ano nangyayari,” she added.
This was her response when asked if she has solutions in mind to address the problem of corruption in the country and to ensure that public funds are judiciously spent.
The Constitution, however, mandates Congress to scrutinize the national budget submitted by the President, as the legislative branch is equal to the executive.
BUDGET DELIBERATIONS
Meanwhile, Office of the Vice President spokesperson Ruth Castelo said Duterte’s attendance at congressional budget hearings has been “pencil booked” but that her beign there would depend on prior engagements.
“Pero kasama po ang mga officials ng OVP na assigned dito sa budget na ito (But there are OVP officials assigned to the budget) . Like our finance, our HR, of course, the assistant secretary and the undersecretary,” Castelo said in an interview after leading the OVP’s tree-planting activity in Hermosa, Bataan Friday, Aug. 29.
Heads of agencies have traditionally attended budget hearings to defend their offices’ proposed spending.
The OVP is set to appear before the House on September 12 and before the Senate on September 15, according to Castelo.
She said Duterte is “ready any time” to attend budget deliberations if the House compels her atendance.
“Kaya naman po niya talagang harapin yan lahat. Ang magiging diperensya lang po natin nga ay ‘yung sa schedule, ‘yung pag-schedule ng engagements,” she stated.
Duterte’s attendance in last year’s House panel hearing on the proposed 2025 national budget made headlines as she refused to give direct answers to lawmakers’ queries, repeatedly saying that she would “forgo the opportunity to defend the OVP 2025 budget” and would “leave it to the House of Representatives to decide on the proposal as presented.”
Duterte later accused the House of holding “scripted” budget hearings.
Castelo said she hopes for the swift passage of the office’s budget next year, citing the absence of confidential funds — an issue that led to Duterte’s impeachment.
The Supreme Court ruled in July that the impeachment case against her was unconstitutional. Motions of reconsideration have been filed over that decision.
