House committee approves OP's P10.5B budget for 2025

The House Committee on Appropriations deliberated on the Office of the President's proposed P10.506 billion budget for 2025, a slight decrease from its P10.708 billion budget in 2024.

A significant portion of the proposed budget, P4.56 billion, is designated for confidential and intelligence funds, with P2.25 billion for confidential funds and P2.31 billion for intelligence funds.

Despite some objections from members who argued against exempting any agency from scrutiny, the committee swiftly terminated the hearing on the OP's budget.

This swift termination was justified by Abra Rep. Ching B. Bernos as a "long-standing tradition and practice" of extending "parliamentary courtesy" to the Office of the President.

Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel voiced dissent, stating that terminating deliberations prematurely suggests the President is evading congressional scrutiny, contradicting his own statements about agencies not being exempt from grilling.