Climate body budget deferred over commissioners' absence

The Senate on Wednesday deferred the deliberation and approval of the 2023 proposed budget of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), citing the absence of two of its commissioners.

Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda raised the motion in plenary as she pointed out that only the commission's executive director, Robert Borje, was present in the deliberations.

The two other commissioners, Rachel Anne Herrera and Albert Dela Cruz,  are both in Egypt to attend the Climate Change Conference (COP 27) slated from November 6 to November 18.

“I will… reserve my questions for the commission when they return home next week. And with the concurrence of the vice chair of Finance for the commission, may I respectfully request that the deliberations on the budget of the CCC be deferred,” Legarda said.

The Department of Budget and Management proposed a P132.69 million budget for CCC under the P5. 268 trillion 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP) — lower than its P145.40 million allocation in 2022.

In making her motion, Legarda also mentioned she wants to see the CCC’s full report on COP 27 as well as its current steps on mainstreaming climate change actions and policies in the government.

“I’m not being kontrabida (a villain), to use a colloquial term. They are not negotiators…They need to come home this weekend.  If Secretary Borje, the vice chair, is here, why are they there?” she said.

“I will not apologize for my intervention. What you saw is just passion. I’m not angry. I love this commission, we created this by law…I just want you to work…We will see the CCC with a full report on COP 27 and they will come home before the 16th on the last day,” Legarda added.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri affirmed Legarda’s motion and said heads of government agencies should be present in plenary for the debate on their respective budgets.

“This is a once-a-year budget deliberation. My personal position...is if the head of agencies is not here, sorry na lang. (I’m sorry.) You have to come back before the end of the budget. And if he or she does not come home, delikado ang budget nila. Baka maslash-an pa (their budgets are in danger. It may be slashed)," Zubiri said.

Meanwhile, the legislative body approved the proposed budgets of the Philippine Space Agency, Philippine Postal Corporation, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Komisyon sa Wikang Pilipino, National Security Council, Philippine Racing Commission, Philippine Center for Economic Development, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Civil Service Commission, Anti-Red Tape Authority, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan. —LDF, GMA News