Estrada to fight for OVP's P2B budget cut by House

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has vowed to try and restore the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) proposed P2.037 billion budget for 2025, which was significantly slashed by the House of Representatives.

Estrada emphasized the importance of respecting the OVP as the office of the country's second-highest official, stating it needs adequate funds to "function properly."

The House appropriations committee reduced the OVP's budget to P733.2 million by realigning some of Vice President Sara Duterte's key programs to other agencies.

This cut followed clashes between Duterte and lawmakers, with the Vice President accusing them of politicizing the budget process.

Estrada believes the Senate would uphold the tradition of respecting the President and Vice President's budgets and assured their speedy approval.

He acknowledged the minority's right to scrutinize the budget, especially concerning allegations of confidential funds misuse, but stressed that any cuts must be justified.

Senator Francis Tolentino noted that the final decision on the OVP's budget would be made during the plenary session.