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VP Sara snubs House committee as 2025 budget hearing resumes

VICE-PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO FACEBOOK PAGE

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday pulled a no-show to the scheduled resumption of the congressional briefing on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) spending plan, drawing the ire of lawmakers looking to question its proposed P2.02-billion budget.

In a letter, dated Sept. 10, Ms. Duterte-Carpio reiterated that her office will defer to the discretion of the House of Representatives, leaving it to the chamber to decide on the 2025 OVP budget. The letter was addressed to Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Party-list Rep. Elizaldy S. Co, chairman of the appropriations committee.

“We defer entirely to the discretion and judgment of the Committee regarding our budget proposal for the upcoming year,” the letter read in part. Not one official from the OVP attended the congressional hearing.

In a statement, Mr. Co said the panel will recommend that some OVP funds for social services be transferred to line agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Education.

Citing the poor track record of the Vice President in handling public funds, as seen in the P125-million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), Mr. Co reconsidered whether to grant the OVP P2 billion for next year.

“Amid all these funds misuse and apparent corruption, should we still entrust her with another P2 billion in 2025?” he said in a statement. “Now, should we give her P2 billion that she claims the OVP will use to help the poor? We should give this instead to the right agency.

Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel recommended to slash the OVP’s budget to P128 million from P2 billion, citing redundancies in the office’s proposed spending plan with other government agencies.

Teodoro A. Casiño, chairperson of political group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, told BusinessWorld before the budget briefing that “almost 80% of the OVP’s budget is for projects that are not under the purview of the office.”

The OVP has a P2-billion budget under the 2025 National Expenditure Program, an 8% increase from the P1.9 billion budget for this year.

SECOND CHANCE
The House appropriations committee, which oversees matters concerning the government’s spending, deferred the OVP’s budget in late August after she refused to answer the inquiries of congressmen directly, opting to instead repeat a canned response.

In the Aug. 27 hearing, the Vice President was asked by the panel to explain P73.3 million of the P125-million OVP CIF in 2022, flagged by state auditors due to the lack of documents supporting the spending.

In 2022, the OVP reportedly spent P125 million within 11 days back, generating controversy among the public. Ms. Duterte-Carpio did not answer questions about the secret funds, noting the 2025 OVP budget request did not include CIF funds.   

“Even though we gave the Office of the Vice President a second chance… to explain the budget… she decided to boycott us,” Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in Filipino.

“I don’t recall any government agency or executive branch ever boycotting Congress during budget hearings and deliberations.”

The absence of OVP officials from the hearing was deemed as “unconstitutional” anew by Manila Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante, Jr., asserting Congress’ power of the purse.

“My goodness, without the presence of any of the officers and officials of the Vice President, we are facing a blank wall here,” he told congressmen in the same hearing.

“Being a collegial body, as given the mandate by the Constitution to brief and ask questions concerning the budget, the fact that the head of the agency is not here today, is… I think unconstitutional,” he added.

PARLIAMENTARY COURTESY
Party-list Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta argued the panel should instead exercise parliamentary courtesy to Ms. Duterte-Carpio, a congressional privilege traditionally extended to the Office of the President and the OVP.

“I have observed a tradition. The tradition is the two highest positions of government, namely the Office of the Vice President and the Office of the President, are not traditionally subjected to questions. I have observed this for so long a time,” Mr. Marcoleta said.

He sought to terminate the proceedings on the OVP budget, but his motion was rejected with 45 panel members voting against the motion. This outnumbered three votes in favor of the motion to end the OVP budget briefing.

Accountability should be prioritized over the House’s parliamentary courtesy to the country’s top executive officials, Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The best recourse they have is to void or decide on their own what the appropriate budget for the OVP will be if Ms. Carpio will not cooperate,” he said.

EO places irrigation agency under President’s office

PHILIPPINE STAR/BOY SANTOS

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has issued an executive order (EO) placing the National Irrigation Agency (NIA) under the Office of the President from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Under EO No. 69, which was signed on Sept. 5 and released on Tuesday, the irrigation agency would be transferred to the Office of the President to “streamline and rationalize the functional relations of agencies… in order to promote coordination, efficiency and coherence within the bureaucracy,” based on a copy of the order uploaded to the Official Gazette.

The agency had been under the Office of the President since it was established in 1963, before being moved to the DA in 1992.

“Irrigation management and development are vital towards achieving food security and ensuring infrastructure development in the country, which are among the Administration’s priority initiatives,” according to the EO.

Philippine Senators have chided the NIA for slow progress in state irrigation efforts, as they also raised concerns about rigged public bidding in carrying out its projects.

NIA Administrator Eduardo G. Guillen has said his agency only completed 68% of its national irrigation development commitments as of last year, servicing an estimated 2.11 million hectares, with 1.1 million hectares yet to be irrigated.

Mr. Marcos also ordered the Governance Commission for government-owned or -controlled corporations to study the reorganization of the NIA board of directors.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. welcomed what he described as a “strategic move” to attain a modern and more productive farm sector.

“Under normal circumstances, NIA should be under the DA,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said in a statement.

“However, given the urgent need to irrigate over a million hectares of land to boost agricultural productivity, especially for rice, President Marcos made a strategic—possibly a game-changing—move that would ensure that NIA receives the substantial funding necessary to fulfill this crucial mandate swiftly.”

Mr. Tiu Laurel said the transfer will address the urgent need for substantial funding to irrigate approximately 1.2 million hectares of land. He noted that the DA had proposed a budget of P512 billion for next year, which includes plans to roll out more irrigation projects. This was however reduced to P200 billion in the National Expenditure Plan for 2025.

In transferring the NIA, Mr. Tiu Laurel said the government is aiming to mobilize additional funds to accelerate irrigation projects and improve agricultural outcomes. This is expected to “significantly” enhance food production, particularly rice.

Under next year’s proposed P6.352-trillion national budget, P24.6 billion will go to irrigation services.

In his third address to Congress, the President pushed for more irrigation dams and bulk water projects to ensure sources of usable water for local communities.

A farmers group, however, questioned the intention of the NIA transfer. “If the goal is to advance the irrigation system to help ensure the country’s food security, why move it?” Bantay Bigas Spokesperson Cathy L. Estavillo said in a Viber message in Filipino.

“He could direct the NIA to fulfill its mandate and programs, such as ensuring that funds are used for irrigation canal development and implementing free irrigation for all Filipino farmers.”

She added that, the privatization of dams has intensified, benefitting only private entrepreneurs and foreigners. — John Victor D. Ordoñez with reports from Adrian H. Halili

Guo cohort, 53 others face human trafficking complaints

KATHERINE CASSANDRA L. ONG — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES FB PAGE

GOVERNMENT authorities on Tuesday filed qualified human trafficking charges against Katherine Cassandra L. Ong and 53 others for their alleged participation in the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga.

Filed before the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), authorities alleged Ms. Ong and 53 other respondents of being involved in the Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty, during a briefing at the DoJ office in Manila City on the same day, said PAOCC and PNP are eyeing to file other trafficking complaints against the respondents.

“This is only the first of many cases we will file against people behind Lucky South 99,” he said in Filipino.

Lucky South 99 was raided earlier this year by law enforcement authorities due to its expired license to operate and alleged human rights violations, such as torture and trafficking.

Ms. Ong’s legal counsel, Ferdinand S. Topacio, did not immediately respond to a Viber message seeking comment.

Aside from Ms. Ong, other respondents include an official of the now-defunct Technology Resource Center and other Chinese nationals working in POGO, and a Singaporean “big boss” of the Lucky South 99 POGO, who is believed to have helped ex-Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo escape to Indonesia.

PAOCC Spokesman Winston John R. Casio during the same briefing said they learned this Singaporean national helped Ms. Guo escape to Batam, proof that the Bamban and Porac POGOs are interconnected.

There are 14 victim-complainants in the charge, ten of which are foreigners.

“The foreign nationals you saw earlier were kidnapped and abducted to work for Lucky South 99. Some of them were taken from casinos, loaned money, and when they couldn’t pay, they were forced to work in online gaming,” Mr. Casio said in mixed English and Filipino.

“We confirmed their testimony through an ocular inspection to verify the credibility of the witnesses.”

Ms. Ong is also facing 87 counts of money laundering filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), National Bureau of Investigation, and PAOCC last month.

AMLC lawyer Adrian Arpon said in a Senate hearing last week that Ms. Ong, along with Ms. Guo and her siblings, is facing a penalty of at least seven years in jail and as much as 14 years per count. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

DoJ names Immigration OIC after chief’s sacking over Guo

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE Department of Justice (DoJ) on Tuesday named Deputy Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) officer-in-charge (OIC) after the dismissal of its former chief for the escape of an embattled former mayor.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the appointment of Mr. Viado will take effect immediately and will remain until President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. appoints a new commissioner.

“It is essential that we assure our people that the services of our immigration bureau will remain uninterrupted and consistent regardless of any transition in leadership,” Mr. Remulla said in a statement.

“Viado will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the bureau under the supervision of the Justice Secretary,” the DoJ said.

This comes after President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Monday dismissed Norman G. Tansingco as his Immigration chief for failing to prevent the escape of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo and her cohorts from the Philippines in July. 

Mr. Remulla earlier said he was disappointed with Mr. Tansingco’s performance due to BI’s lapses under his watch.

“This has been a big problem for the longest time, we have not been lacking reminders to the Immigration Commissioner about these problems,” he said in the same statement.

Mr. Remulla on Sept. 4 said he was not talking to Mr. Tansingco after he failed to promptly inform the DoJ about Ms. Guo’s escape. She was later arrested in Indonesia and brought back to Manila.

Mr. Tansingco learned of Ms. Guo’s departure on Aug. 15 but only reported the information after five days. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

P16B in calamity funds released

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

CALAMITY FUNDS released to government agencies as of end-August stood at P16.66 billion, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

In an update, the DBM said National Government agencies received the bulk or P16.16 billion of the fund release as of end-August.

Broken down, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received the biggest allocation at P9.84 billion, followed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at P5.51 billion.

Of the total, P374.97 million went to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, P343 million to the Department of Finance, and P100 million to the Department of National Defense.

Some P499.94 million was allocated to government-owned and -controlled corporations. Under which, the National Irrigation Authority received P450 million, while the National Housing Authority was given P49.94 million. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Paris direct flights to start on Dec. 8

MARK OLSEN-UNSPLASH

AIR FRANCE-KLM Group on Tuesday said it would start non-stop direct flights from Manila to Paris on Dec. 8 to boost tourist arrivals in both countries.

At a Palace briefing, Air France-KLM General Manager for Southeast Asia and Pacific Femke Kroese said the direct flights, would operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Each flight would take 14 hours to complete.

She said the airline would start ticket sales for the flights on Tuesday, with economy class flight return fares starting at $1,258 (P71,030.45).

The direct flights would connect the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which Ms. Fontanel said would serve as a gateway to Europe for Filipinos.

“The Philippine market has always been on our radar and Southeast Asia as a whole is a key strategic market for Air France and KLM,” Ms. Kroese said.

“Knowing that Paris is the second most visited destination by Filipinos in Europe, we do believe that there is a strong market.”

Last week, Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the direct flights were expected to roll out in December, after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and its French counterpart the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile Française signed a deal to boost aviation cooperation.

French Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel told the same briefing that the direct flights will boost trade and tourism exchanges.

“In foreign direct investment, by removing a psychological barrier to trade and boosting the interest of French and European investors in a particularly dynamic Philippine market,” the envoy said.

She added that the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) made the “project possible” or getting it off the ground. Air France-KLM is also set to reopen an office in Manila following the launch of the direct flights.

Air France-KLM is also set to reopen an office in Manila following the launch of the direct flights. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

More digitalization funds sought

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is asking for an additional P9.2 billion to its proposed P12.6-billion digitalization budget next year as more than 18,000 schools still don’t have internet access.

“We want speed up the process (of digitalization)… this is a priority of the President and the department seeing how increased digitalization can help us leapfrog some of the traditional resource gaps given some schools are doing double and triple shifting,” Education Secretary Juan Miguel “Sonny” M. Angara told a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the DepEd’s proposed P793.177-billion budget next year.

He said artificial intelligence-based education platforms could also compensate for the shortage of teachers and other resource gaps.

The secretary also cited partnerships with online education provider KhanAcademy opening 31 pilot schools in the country.

In a July report last year, the Asian Development Bank said the Philippines should use education technology to bridge the skill gap or risk job losses due to rapid technological advancements. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Sierra Madre dev’t body bill urged

A CONGRESSMAN on Tuesday urged Congress to pass a bill mandating the creation of a body tasked to protect the Sierra Madre Mountain Range from deforestation as part of efforts to prevent widespread flooding during torrential rains.

Filed by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles in 2022, the measure seeks to establish the Sierra Madre Development Authority, which would oversee and protect the mountain range from deforestation, illegal construction of infrastructure, and help in the economic development of the indigenous population.

Mr. Nograles cited the need to quickly enact the measure after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. noticed deforested areas in the mountain range during an aerial inspection on the damages caused by Severe Tropical Storm Yagi (Enteng) last week.

“I hope that the President’s recent statement about Sierra Madre’s deforestation will serve as a nudge in the right direction for us in Congress to prioritize the creation of the Sierra Madre Development Authority,” he said in a statement. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

College accreditation bill OK’d

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE SENATE on Tuesday approved on second reading a bill establishing a program that would allow senior high school and technical vocational school graduates to earn college degrees through work experience.

Under Senate Bill No. 2568, the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program would credit relevant work experience to school credits for a bachelor’s degree.

The bill would task the Commission on Higher Education to implement the program and to consult with stakeholders.

Applicants will have to be at least 23 years old, have completed a secondary school program, and at least five years of work experience in the industry related to the academic degree program they are pursuing.

“For many college dropouts, whose skills are not receipted by a diploma, the absence of academic credentials can and does lead to opportunity losses,” Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero said in his sponsorship speech in March. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

PBEd, USAID help 83,000 youths

ABOUT 83,000 out-of-school youths benefitted from the USAID Opportunity 2.0 Program for the first four years of its run.

The program, in partnership with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and the Education Development Center (EDC), engaged with 2,200 private sector partners comprising 45 business groups, 370 large companies, and 1,704 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The program aims to build networks in 15 cities nationwide, reach 180,000 out-of-school youths, train over 2,000 teachers, and engage 2,200 companies.

The program focuses on three key components: second-chance education, workforce readiness, and positive youth development, PBEd said on its website. It will run until next year, five years after its inception in 2020.

“I hope companies can remove the requirement for a college diploma, especially for entry-level jobs,” PBEd President Chito B. Salazar told reporters in an ambush interview in Filipino.

“[Graduates] should be evaluated based on their skill set, not necessarily having a college diploma right away,” he added. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Power firm Colight expansion sought

EVENING_TAO-FREEPIK

COTABATO CITY — The provincial government of Maguindanao del Norte pushed for a Cotabato-based power utility firm to expand services to the province to sustain its improving business climate.

Gov. Abdulraof A. Macacua told reporters last Monday that he and provincial planners are together working out the possible expansion of the operation of the Cotabato Light and Power Co. (Colight) in the province.

Colight is owned by the Aboitiz Co. that also operates the Davao Light and Power Co. covering Davao City and all of its districts around.

The Bangsamoro Business Council, or BBC, supported the effort of the Maguindanao del Norte governor’s office.

“Adequate supply of electricity in areas where local and foreign investors can put up viable businesses is very important,” the entrepreneur-lawyer Ronald Hallid D. Torres, chairman of BBC, said on Tuesday. — John Felix M. Unson

DLSU Green Archers battle dangerous Adamson Falcons

DEFENDING CHAMPION De La Salle University Green Archers — UAAP/NICOLE HERNANDEZ

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
11:30 a.m. – AdU vs DLSU (women)
1:30 p.m. – UST vs ADMU (women)
4:30 p.m. – AdU vs DLSU (men)
6:30 p.m. – UST vs ADMU (men)

REIGNING CHAMPION De La Salle University (DLSU) wants a quick separation from the pack while University of Santo Tomas (UST) is out for another surprise when they tangle with separate counterparts in the second week of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fresh from a tough first test against National University, La Salle braces for another large target on its back against the underdog but very capable Adamson University (AdU)at 4:30 p.m. prior to the main duel between Santo Tomas and Ateneo de Manila University at 6:30 p.m.

Tagged as the heavy favorites to repeat, the Green Archers were welcomed by a baptism of fire by the Bulldogs last weekend in a near defeat only for MVP Kevin Quiambao to come to the rescue.

Mr. Quiambao poured six of his 22 points in La Salle’s late flurry, capped by the booming triple in the last nine seconds to flip a 64-71 deficit for the gritty win. And La Salle expects the same teeth-to-teeth match against Adamson, on the heels of a 59-47 win against Far Eastern University to spoil Sean Chambers’ coaching debut.

“We will learn from these experiences. We’d rather play these kinds of game that will test us to the mettle. We’re just gonna keep on sharpening our saw and we’re gonna get better,” he said.

“We know that there are no surprises. All teams are gonna play us that way. And it’s just gonna make us better. It’s just gonna make this team better.”

One of the teams which indeed showed a massive improvement right off the bat was Santo Tomas, which will be out for quick follow-up against the rebuilding but still formidable Ateneo squad.

The Golden Tigers, in Pido Jarencio’s return last season, registered only two wins and a triumph today would already match that against the Blue Eagles, who absorbed a deflating 77-61 debut loss to powerhouse and host University of the Philippines. — John Bryan Ulanday

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