TWO lawmakers over the weekend opposed the decision of the House Committee on Appropriations to slash the budget of the Office of the Vice President by P1.2 billion, saying they should have followed "tradition" by showing the office "courtesy" in the budgeting process. The panel's senior vice chairman, Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, announced on Thursday that the OVP would receive a budget of P733 million from its original proposal of P2.037 billion for 2025. The P1.2 billion cut from the OVP budget would go instead to social assistance programs of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The decision came after Vice President Sara Duterte engaged in a testy exchange with the panel on August 27 over questions on the use of the agency's confidential and intelligence funds in 2022. During a virtual press briefing, however, Sen. Joel Villanueva hit the panel for its "inconsistency" in following the so-called tradition observed in both Houses of Congress to give the OVP due courtesy in the budgeting process by approving its funding request with no changes. "You have to be consistent. You cannot do it in the first year or second year, and then the third year, change it," Villanueva said in a mix of English and Filipino. "If you're going to do that, keep on doing that for the entire duration of your term. Because tradition dictates that this is not done." He said Congress must preserve the tradition and continue implementing its rules regardless of the officials involved. "I am a product of the House of Representatives ... When I was there, the traditions were very important to us. It may not be part of the law, it may not be part of the rules of both houses, but we always submit to the traditions of our institution," he said. Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta sided with Villanueva and chided the panel for failing to follow "tradition." But House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro stressed the importance of transparency and accountability over adherence to traditions in government practices, especially when the public interest is at stake. "Transparency and accountability must be above traditions... If not, then what we will have are just dogmas that do not serve the interest of the people but those of their oppressors," Castro added. The budget cut of the OVP by 60 percent was due to the ongoing scrutiny of the House of Representatives over the agency's budget following concerns about unexplained expenditures. Castro said the Makabayan bloc she belongs to has highlighted its consistent vigilance in examining government budgets. "The Makabayan bloc has consistently scrutinized the budgets of every government agency for years and not just the Office of the Vice President. It is only now, though, that anomalies of this magnitude have been unearthed at the OVP," Castro said. She also chided Villanueva for his statement on following traditions, noting that there is a need for financial prudence and accountability. Castro said public officials have a responsibility to justify the use of taxpayers's money. "[We will] continue [our] vigilance and responsible governance to ensure that public funds genuinely serve the needs of the Filipino people," Castro said. The Manila Times tried to reach Quimbo for comment but was unable to do so as this issue went to press. On Saturday, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition expressed its "strong disapproval" of Villanueva and Marcoleta for defending Vice President Duterte's confidential funds. In a statement, the labor group said the statements of Villanueva and Marcoleta are prioritizing tradition over accountability. "This is a seeming defense, if not cover-up, of Vice President Sara Duterte's confidential funds, which spending was disallowed by the Commission on Audit," the labor group said. "Nagkaisa emphasizes that public accountability should not be compromised for the sake of tradition, which in this case is a distorted one," the group said. They claimed that the pair's statements distort Article XI of the Constitution, which states that "public office is a public trust." "Traditions cannot supersede transparency, especially when public funds are at stake. We expect our leaders to uphold the highest standards of accountability and ensure that every peso is spent responsibly," Nagkaisa chairman Sonny Matula said. "Gone are the days of royal highness! Public officials must, at all times, be accountable to the people. No one is above the law, even the highest official of the land," he added. "Nagkaisa reiterates that the public deserves answers and clarifications, not reliance on vague traditions, especially in matters that impact people's tax contributions and the nation's finances and governance." The group called on Villanueva and Marcoleta, as well as other lawmakers and legislators, to give priority to the people's interests over institutional norms that "obscure" the demand for accountability. WITH ARIC JOHN SY CUA
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