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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
NANINIWALA ang ilang miyembro ng tinaguriang ‘Young Guns’ sa Kamara de Representantes na hindi bibigyan ng ‘piso budget’ ang Office of the Vice President (OVP) sa susunod na taon dahil lang sa pang-iisnab ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa deliberasyon ng House Committee on Appropriations para sa P2.037-bilyong proposed 2025 budget.
Sa pulong-balitaan sa Batasan Complex, binigyan-diin ni House Deputy Majority Leader at TINGOG partylist Rep. Jude Acidre na ang posisyon ng bise-presidente at maging ang mismong tanggapan ay dapat din irespeto.
“We might have differences with the person involved, but the position of the Vice president is an office that we need to respect, di ba? We can only hope that the same respect that we give her, or her office is reciprocated. Unfortunately, with her absence, it tells us otherwise, but nonetheless, Congress can always choose to be the better person,” sambit ni Acidre.
‘We will give what is necessary for the Office of the Vice President. I know this is my position. I would support any moves to ensure that the Office of the Vice president is given the funds needed to carry out its constitutional mandate. Anything that is more than that I will leave to the wisdom of my colleagues,” dugtong niya.
Sinegundahan naman ni House Assistant Majority Leader at La Union 1st Dist. Rep Francisco Paolo Ortega V ang pahayag ni Acidre at sinabing “iyong maiiwan or yung ibibigay na budget sa Office of the Vice President is still responsive sa mandato po niya.”
Binigyan-diin naman ng neophyte La Union lawmaker na pagbabatayan din ng Kamara ang pagbibigay ng badyet sa partikular na programa ng OVP base sa utilization rate o naging paggastos sa mga naunang taon.
“Halimbawa iyong isang part ng budget niya, yung kunwari yung pagbibigay niya ng assistance, e iyong utilization or iyong burn rate nun 3% lang, bakit mo pa bibigyan ng malaking budget yung assistantance na iyon? Ibig sabihin hindi niya nagagamit. So, bakit mo pa bibigyan ng budget?,” ayon pa kay Ortega.
Sinabi naman ni House Assistant Minority Leader at 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, hindi naman batayan ang pagiging kaalayado ng administrasyon o liderato ng Kamara ng isang opisyal sa pondong ibibigay sa ahensyang kanyang pinamumunuan.
“This applies to all agencies. Our mandate here is to exercise power of the purse, and we will as Cong. Jude said will do all our efforts to make sure that whatever the department, whatever the office, they have what they need to carry their constitutional mandate.” anang ranking House minority member.
