OVP can survive sans P500-million confidential funds —Pimentel

Published November 15, 2022 05:53 PM By HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) can still function even without the P500-million requested confidential funds for 2023, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Tuesday.

In supporting his position, Pimentel pointed out that the OVP has not collapsed even with only a budget of P700 million for 2022.

"'Yung OVP nga ngayon ang budget is around P700 million for 2022. Nag-collapse ba ang Office of the Vice President at P700 million? Hindi naman e," Pimentel said.

"So P2.3 [billion] nga siya next year e, tanggalin mo yung P500 [million] e P1.8 billion pa rin ang naiwan... It should be able to survive," the minority chief added.

Pimentel earlier said he would seek the deletion of the confidential fund allocation for the OVP.

 “In my personal opinion, such a mandate cannot justify the giving of confidential funds for confidential expenses,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pimentel said he might agree with the allocation of P2.25 billion in confidential funds to the Office of the President as a "compromise" because it is a civilian agency.

But since it is not a security agency, Pimentel said, the OP should let go of its P2.25-billion intelligence funds.

Under the proposed budget for next year, P4.5 billion CIF was lodged in the OP—P2.25 billion in confidential funds and P2.25 billion in intelligence funds.

Last week, Pimentel questioned the need to allocate billions of confidential and intelligence funds to the OP when there are existing agencies mandated to gather confidential information.

GMA News Online has reached out to the Office of the President and OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac for comment. — BM, GMA Integrated News

View on GMA News