Rep Ortega rejects disinfo on blank entries in 2025 budget

La Union 1st District Representative Paolo Ortega dismissed claims about blank entries in the 2025 budget as disinformation aimed at reinstating Vice President Sara Duterte's reduced allocation.

Ortega accused former President Rodrigo Duterte of misleading the public and manipulating the budget process, emphasizing that the budget was signed into law without irregularities after a thorough constitutional process.

The lawmaker highlighted that Congress had significantly reduced the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) budget from PHP2 billion in 2024 to PHP733 million in 2025, stressing fiscal transparency and accountability.

Ortega urged the public to remain vigilant against efforts to exploit the budget process for personal or political gain, reaffirming the government's commitment to prudent spending and transparency on public funds.

Other lawmakers, including Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senate President Francis Escudero, have also disputed the inclusion of blanks in either the General Appropriations Bill or the final budget.