House leader says OVP budget still sufficient

House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. asserted that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Duterte will not be crippled by its reduced 2025 budget of P733 million, ensuring sufficient funds for its constitutional duties.

Gonzales explained that the P733 million allocation remains higher than the budget of former Vice President Leni Robredo, a point he believes justifies the reduction.

The proposed P2.037 billion OVP budget was cut down due to Duterte's behavior during budget hearings and revelations of low budget utilization for some of its programs.

Gonzales mentioned that Speaker Martin Romualdez's intervention prevented further cuts to the OVP's budget.

The reduction aligns with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III's view that the Vice President should focus on presidential preparations rather than extensive social programs.

A significant portion of the OVP's original budget, P943 million intended for Financial Assistance (FA) schemes, was realigned to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH) due to perceived redundancy with their existing programs.

Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo clarified that the budget cut did not affect the OVP's allocation for salaries, preserving jobs within the office.