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King Charles, leaders offer support to Princess of Wales after cancer announcement
LONDON — Britain’s King Charles, political leaders, and the US White House offered support to Kate, Princess of Wales, after she said tests following abdominal surgery showed cancer had been present and she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy. Buckingham Palace, on behalf of Britain’s King Charles “His Majesty (HM) is ‘so proud of Catherine for her.....»»
Davao extends calamity aid to quake-hit areas in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY (Mindanews/December 15) – The City Government of Davao approved Thursday an ordinance providing a total amount of P2.5 million in calamity assistance to areas in Mindanao hit hardest by recent earthquakes. Under suspended rules during the 48th regular session Thursday, Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the finance, ways and means, and appropriations committee […].....»»
Support Elderly Filipino Week, LGUs told
All national and local government agencies must support events for the “Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino” (Elderly Filipino Week), Malacañang said. In a 29 September memorandum that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed, Marcos ordered the National Commission of Senior Citizens to lead Elderly Filipino Week activities and programs following Republic Act 11350, the “National Commission of Senior Citizen Act,” to fully implement laws, government policies, and programs for seniors. Proclamation No. 470-1994 mandates Elderly Filipino Week in the first week of October to promote senior persons’ rights and welfare. “All [national government agencies] and instrumentalities, including GOCCS (government-owned and controlled corporations), GFIS (government financial institutions), and SUCs (state universities and colleges) are hereby directed, and all LGUs are hereby encouraged to extend full support for and cooperation with the NCSC in the conduct of relevant activities and programs for senior citizens during the annual celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week,” the memorandum states. The Palace suggested supporting Elderly Filipino Week activities through agency appropriations. NCSC chair Franklin Quijano said the Philippine Plan of Action for Senior Citizens and guidelines for Philippine Age-Friendly Local Governments, Cities, Municipalities, and Communities would be launched to create a “homegrown, age-friendly approach” for seniors. Over 2.8 million seniors have enrolled online with the NCSC. The NCSC hopes to register nine million seniors by December. The post Support Elderly Filipino Week, LGUs told appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Malacañang tells gov’t agencies, LGUs to support Elderly Filipino Week
All national and local government agencies must support events for the "Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino" (Elderly Filipino Week), Malacañang said. In a memorandum that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed on 29 September, Marcos ordered the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) to lead Elderly Filipino Week activities and programs following Republic Act (RA) 11350, the "National Commission of Senior Citizen Act," to fully implement laws, government policies, and programs for seniors. Proclamation No. 470-1994 mandates Elderly Filipino Week in the first week of October to promote senior persons' rights and welfare. "All [national government agencies] and instrumentalities, including GOCCS (government-owned and controlled corporations), GFIS (government financial institutions), and SUCs (state universities and colleges) are hereby directed, and all LGUs are hereby encouraged to extend full support for and cooperation with the NCSC in the conduct of relevant activities and programs for senior citizens during the annual celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week," the memorandum states. The Palace suggested supporting Elderly Filipino Week activities through agency appropriations. NCSC chair Franklin Quijano said the Philippine Plan of Action for Senior Citizens and guidelines for Philippine Age-Friendly Local Governments, Cities, Municipalities, and Communities would be launched to create a “homegrown, age-friendly approach” for seniors. Over 2.8 million seniors have enrolled online with the NCSC. The NCSC hopes to register nine million seniors by December. The post Malacañang tells gov’t agencies, LGUs to support Elderly Filipino Week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Intel fund requests being abused’
A lawmaker said Monday the grant of confidential and intelligence funds under the national budget has become a trend that several government agencies have abused. Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin on Monday said there has been a noticeable increase in the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds in recent years granted to various agencies unrelated to national security or surveillance. “There are many who have joined the trend and abused it,” Garin said. “If you look at the historical data, the jump started in 2017, when the total confidential fund in 2016 was P720 million. In 2017, it jumped to P2.07 billion and by 2020, it more than doubled to P4.57 billion,” she said. The marathon deliberations on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 had led to intense debates in the House, particularly on the grant of multi-million-peso confidential funds to numerous civilian agencies, including the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Last week, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the senior vice chair of the House appropriations panel, said that about 10 government agencies, including the OVP and DepEd, which Vice President Sara Duterte both heads, are expected to be affected by the House’s plan to realign the confidential funds to national security agencies. The realignment is being mulled amid China’s persistent assertiveness inside Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte sought P2.395 billion and P758.6 billion for the OVP and DepEd, respectively, in the proposed 2024 budget, including P500 million and P150 million, respectively, in confidential funds. The post ‘Intel fund requests being abused’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
10 agencies to be affected by confidential fund realignment
Around 10 agencies will be affected by the plan of the House of Representatives to realign allocations under the confidential funds, according to House committee on appropriations senior vice chair Stella Luz Quimbo......»»
Quimbo: OVP dispersed P125M in 11 days
Vice President Sara Duterte’s office spent P125 million in confidential funds in merely 11 days in 2022 — not 19 days — as initially claimed by some opposition lawmakers. The revelation was made by Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo during the sponsorship debate for the P13.36-billion budget of the Commission on Audit for 2024. Quimbo said she was surprised when she learned that the P125 million confidential fund was spent within 19 days, thus she asked the CoA and looked at the various reports. “It was not spent in 19 days, but 11,” she pointed out. The P125 million was part of the P221.42-million contingency fund of the Office of the President that was transferred to the OVP in 2022. Confidential funds are costs associated with operations carried out by civilian government agencies that require secrecy. They are the equivalent of intelligence funds for the uniformed and allied services. The OVP submitted its liquidation report in January 2023 and was issued an audit observation memorandum, or AOM, on 18 September 2023 by state auditors, said Quimbo, citing the CoA. Government agencies have only 15 days to respond to an AOM. The CoA, meanwhile, pledged that Congress will be furnished a copy of the full report on 15 November 2023 as the audit is still ongoing. OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac told reporters the office has yet to receive the AOM from CoA. The transfer of the multi-million-peso fund from the OP to the OVP has sparked intense debate in Congress, with the opposition claiming it was unconstitutional since there was no line item in the OVP’s 2022 budget on confidential funds in the 2022 General Appropriations Act. Former vice president Leni Robredo, who prepared the 2022 budget of the OVP, said there was no line item for confidential funds in the budget she and her staff crafted. The Department of Budget and Management had defended the legality of the transfer in a letter to Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations. The post Quimbo: OVP dispersed P125M in 11 days appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Quimbo: OVP’s P125-M confidential funds spent in 11 days, not 19
Vice President Sara Duterte's office spent P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 in merely 11 days— not 19 days--- as initially claimed by some opposition lawmakers. The revelation came during the sponsorship debate of CoA's P13.36 billion budget for 2024, during which Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the agency's budget sponsor, told lawmakers that the multimillion-peso CF granted to the OVP by the Office of the President had been spent in just 11 days. The P125 million CF was part of the P221.42 million contingent fund of the OP transferred to the OVP in 2022. "Madam Speaker, the truth is that I was also surprised when I read the news that it was spent within 19 days and I asked about the CoA and I looked at the various reports, but it was not spent within 19 days but 11 days, Madam Speaker," Quimbo said. Confidential funds are used for discreet costs associated with surveillance operations carried out by civilian government agencies in support of their mandate or operations. The OVP submitted its liquidation report in January 2023 and was issued an audit observation memorandum or AOM on 18 September 2023 by state auditors, said Quimbo, citing the CoA. Government agencies have only 15 days to respond to an AOM. The CoA, meanwhile, pledged that Congress will be furnished a copy of the full report on 15 November 2023 as the audit is still ongoing. OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac, however, brushed off the claim and told reporters that the agency has yet to receive the AOM from COA. Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, who has been an opponent and critic of the CF, appeared surprised by Quimbo's revelation, questioning how the OVP managed to spend that massive fund in less than two weeks. "It's hard to imagine spending that in 11 days because if it's for surveillance, how many reward payments will reach P11 million per day?" Brosas stressed. Quimbo, meanwhile, responded, "I hope you will support me in my call for this creation of a special oversight committee," that she said will look into how CIFs are used properly and judiciously. Under the current system, only the President, the Senate President and the House Speaker have access to information pertaining to CIFs. The multi-million fund shift of OP to OVP has sparked intense debate in Congress, with opposition claiming it was unconstitutional since there was no line item in the OVP's 2022 budget on confidential funds in the 2022 General Appropriations Act. Then Vice President Leni Robredo, who prepared the 2022 budget of the OVP, said there was no line item for confidential funds in the budget they crafted. The Department of Budget and Management defended the legality of such transfer in a letter sent to Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chair of the House committee on appropriations, last week. Co has yet to provide a copy of the letter to House reporters. The post Quimbo: OVP’s P125-M confidential funds spent in 11 days, not 19 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon: OVP ‘fund shift’ constitutional
One of the vice chairpersons of the House Committee on Appropriations on Sunday has joined other members of the panel in clarifying that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s transfer of P125 million to the office of Vice President Sara Duterte was not unconstitutional. Iloilo Representative Janette Garin stressed that the transfer of the Office of the President’s P221.42-million fund to the Office of the Vice President — which included the P125-million confidential fund allegedly spent by in just 19 days, was sourced from Marcos’ contingent fund. “The problem was that there was confusion about contingent funds versus confidential funds. And in my opinion, that was the first mistake because the people were confused because they thought that the used contingent fund of the Office of the Vice President was confidential,” Garin said in a radio interview on Sunday. “What happened here is that the confidential fund was tainted because it was not immediately answered or clarified. Just to be factual, what the Office of the Vice President used was a contingent fund that was included in the special purpose fund,” she added. The lawmaker explained that the special purpose fund is a fund of the President that he can use for current or new programs when a Cabinet official or an office requests it. The issue of the fund transfer first came when the Commission on Audit report revealed that the OVP spent P125 million in confidential funds for 2022. Then-Vice President Leni Robredo, who then prepared the 2022 budget of the OVP, said there was no line item for confidential funds in the budget they crafted. Confidential funds are used for discreet costs associated with surveillance operations carried out by civilian government agencies in support of their mandate or operations. Lawmakers Elizaldy Co and Stella Quimbo, the panel’s chair and the senior vice chair, earlier shed light on the issue, saying the transfer of the funds was allowed in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, despite opposition solons claims that it breached the law since there was no line item in the OVP’s 2022 budget on confidential funds. The Department of Budget and Management likewise defended the legality of such transfer in a letter sent to Co last week, which the latter has yet to provide a copy to the House reporters. Co said that the P125 million released to OVP came from the P7-billion budget set aside as contingent funds for 2022 and “was intended to support the OVP’s Good Governance Engagements and Social Services Projects,” citing DBM chief Amenah Pangandaman. Pangandaman, however, cleared that they did not bypass the House’s power over the purse when it released contingency funds to the OVP. The post Solon: OVP ‘fund shift’ constitutional appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
House panel mulls Ombudsman proposal on CoA reports
The House Committee on Appropriations, whose primary jurisdiction includes appropriating expenditure for the national government and its agencies, is open to keeping findings of the Commission on Audit off the record in view of Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ proposal to call a halt to the publication of Annual Audit Report or AAR. Contrary to the senior vice chair, Marikina Rep. Stella Qumbo’s earlier pronouncement that the panel will retain the CoA’s regular publication of initial audit observation memorandum or AOM, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, the committee chairperson, said Saturday he is open consider Martires's suggestion of removing the publication of AAR from the general provision of the General Appropriations Act or annual budget, which the ombudsman deemed “causes confusion” to the public. According to Co, his panel “will carefully evaluate the impact and implications” of the disposal of the AAR. “I understand the concern about preventing premature judgments and confusion among the public when reading audit reports. The impact of such publications on government officials' reputations is an important consideration,” Co said. In the deliberation of the Ombudsman’s P4.98-billion proposed budget for 2024 last week, Martires called to remove the publication requirement of the CoA’s initial AOM for each government agency to stave off premature corruption judgment against government officials. “When a case is filed and the case is dismissed, the problem is it creates an innuendo that the ombudsman earned,” Martires said. “I appeal to Congress to take a second look at this.” While Co’s commitment came late, still, he still vowed that Martires’ proposal would be “discussed thoroughly, and we will engage in a comprehensive review to determine the best course of action in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability in government.” Martires’ proposal drew backlash from the public and lawmakers, including ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, who strongly opposed the granting of confidential funds to various government agencies. Martires made headlines right after his pronouncement. Days after, he, however, assured the public that the Ombudsman “is not protecting erring and corrupt government officials and employees with its firm belief that only the Final Audit Report ought to be published and shared with the public since the Annual Audit Report could still be taken up on appeal before the COA en banc and the Court.” Quimbo had previously disclosed that the panel will proceed with the CoA reports publication, and that the 2024 proposed P5.7 trillion national budget has only undergone two adjustments, including eliminating the necessity that Congress submit reports to the executive department. The post House panel mulls Ombudsman proposal on CoA reports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec says goodbye to old VCMs
The Commission on Elections will no longer use the 98,000 vote counting machines or VCM in the 2025 polls regardless of whether there is no budget to procure new ones, its chairperson George Garcia told lawmakers on Monday. Even in the absence of funds, Garcia confidently bared to the members of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is looking into their budget, that the poll body could no longer utilize the VCMs that had been deployed during past elections. According to the Comelec chief, the 98,000 VCMs are deemed “unusable” and unable to be refurbished due to the unavailability of necessary spare parts, as well as the inability to procure components from suppliers. “We already declared the 98,000 machines unusable. It’s up to us if we get a budget or not, but we can no longer use the 98,000 machines,” he said. Garcia made the remark after Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop voiced concern about why the Comelec is still using end-life and end-of-manufacturing equipment “that is so old and can be tampered with online or otherwise.” In 2021, Garcia said the poll body had requested a P23 billion budget to procure new sets of VCMs for the 2022 elections but to no avail. Instead, the Comelec was only given a P12 billion. According to Garcia, the Comelec has been using the 98,000 VCMs in the past three elections. “That’s not really going to work well. It’s like a refrigerator. No matter what you kick in there when it doesn’t get cold, it won’t get cold anymore,” Garcia said, “And so the Comelec resorted to refurbishment,” he said. “Because you know technology, Mr. Chair, you are right, it changes. Our cell phone is only six months old, and [these VCMs] we have been using it for several elections. The Comelec even bought it,” he added. Previously, Garcia expressed concerns about the potential ineffectiveness of the VCMs, especially since the poll body considered full automation and new technology for the next national elections. He also noted that the machines have already exceeded the lifespan of five years. Back in March, Comelec said it was planning to integrate the biometrics technology into the new election system it will be using for the 2025 polls. He said, however, that funding is the primary consideration in determining the type of technology they will utilize. The Comelec sought a P43.7-billion budget for 2024, but the Department of Budget and Management trimmed it to P27.34 billion under the National Expenditure Program. The post Comelec says goodbye to old VCMs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec: 98,000 VCMs now ‘unusable’, new machines needed for 2025 polls
The Commission on Elections will no longer use the 98,000 vote counting machines or VCM in the 2025 polls regardless of whether there is no budget to procure new ones, its chairperson George Garcia told lawmakers on Monday. Even in the absence of funds, Garcia told members of the House committee on appropriations, which is looking into the Comelec's budget, that the poll body could no longer utilize the VCMs that had been deployed during past elections. According to the Comelec chief, the 98,000 VCMs are deemed "unusable" and unable to be refurbished due to the unavailability of necessary spare parts, as well as the inability to procure components from suppliers. "We already declared the 98,000 machines unusable. It's up to us if we get a budget or not, but we can no longer use the 98,000 machines," he said. Garcia made the remark after Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop voiced concern about why the Comelec is still using end-life and end-of-manufacturing equipment "that is so old and can be tampered with online or otherwise." In 2021, Garcia said the poll body had requested a P23 billion budget to procure new sets of VCMs for the 2022 elections but to no avail. Instead, the Comelec was only given P12 billion. According to Garcia, the Comelec has been using the 98,000 VCMs in the past three elections. "That's not really going to work well. It's like a refrigerator. No matter what you kick in there, when it doesn't get cold, it won't get cold anymore," Garcia said. "And so the Comelec resorted to refurbishment," he said. "Because you know technology, Mr. Chair, you are right, it changes. Our cell phone is only six months old, and [these VCMs] we have been using it for several elections. The Comelec even bought it," he added. Garcia said the machines have already exceeded the lifespan of five years. Back in March, the Comelec announced it was planning to integrate biometrics technology into the new election system it will be using for the 2025 polls. However, Garcia said funding remains the primary consideration in determining the type of technology the agency will be able to utilize. The Comelec sought a P43.7-billion budget for 2024, but the Department of Budget and Management trimmed it to P27.34 billion under the National Expenditure Program. The post Comelec: 98,000 VCMs now ‘unusable’, new machines needed for 2025 polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OP budget breezes through House
Owing to a “parliamentary courtesy,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s P10.70 billion proposed budget for his office for 2024 swept through the House committee on appropriations on Tuesday in less than 40 minutes. Tensions flared, however, when members of the Makabayan bloc tried — but failed — to oppose the termination of the deliberations without scrutinizing the OP’s budget. “The highest form of courtesy in this country should be extended to the Filipino people, that the people have the right to know how the public funds are spent, and that should prevail at all times,” Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel said in his manifestation. ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro first objected to Abra Rep. Ching Bernos’ motion to terminate the hearing but later withdrew, prompting Manuel to intervene to make their manifestation first before ending the budget deliberations. “I don’t believe that it’s proper for us to terminate the deliberations without the manifestations becoming part of the records of the House. We should give the members their right and the time to pursue their objections. We can’t rush it again, Madam Chair. Again, the budget that is being discussed here is the Office of the President,” Manuel said. Presiding chairperson Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, however, carried Bernos’ motion and terminated the hearing before allowing the members of the Makabayan bloc to raise their concerns in a two-minute manifestation. “At the point that the objection was withdrawn, then automatically the motion to terminate the budget briefing was carried,” Quimbo said. The three-member Makabayan bloc, namely, Manuel, Castro and Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, mainly argued why the OP approved the P1.25-million confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte notwithstanding that it was excluded under the General Appropriations Act in 2022. Excessive travel expenses They also questioned the “excessive” travel expenses of the OP worth P1.15 billion and its P4.5-billion confidential and intelligence funds. “Regarding the confidential and intelligence funds, for the record, there are many of our compatriots do not agree with this, given the record high confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President. But if we compare the OP’s CIF, it is significantly larger (than the OVP),” Manuel stressed. Manuel said the confidential funds under the OP are P2.25 billion, while the intelligence funds are P2.31 billion. In total, he said, the CIF constitutes 43 percent of the OP’s proposed budget. Echoing Manuel, Castro, meanwhile, argued that instead of giving the OP a “courtesy” and “respect,” members of Congress must not allow secrecy and silence to prevail when the concerns of the Filipino people are too loud and echoing. “Why are there billions in secret funds when the urgent needs for aid, free education and medical services, affordable housing, and so on are piling up?” Castro said. The teacher solon also quizzed the OP if their P4.56 billion CIF would lower the price of rice, other food in the market, electricity, water, and basic commodities. According to Castro, the OP must not go with the CIF trend, which first ballooned during the Duterte administration, as it goes against the Constitution and deprives the Filipinos of transparency and full public disclosure. “This trend must not continue. This is against the policies of transparency and full public disclosure especially in matters related to public money, the government’s obligation to fight graft, corruption, plunder, and other hocus pocus on the public’s wealth, and other mandates of the Constitution,” she said. Black budget We believe that the refusal of the OP, as well as the OVP, to undergo public deliberations regarding their budget especially their confidential and intelligence funds is just one of the increasing reasons why instead of approving their ‘black budgets,’ they should even be abolished.” The post OP budget breezes through House appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OP budget sails through House, Makabayan tries to oppose termination of deliberations
Owing to a "parliamentary courtesy," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s P10.70 billion proposed budget for his office for 2024 swept through the House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday in less than 40 minutes. Tensions flared, however, when members of the Makabayan bloc tried--but failed—to oppose the termination of the deliberations without scrutinizing the OP's budget. "The highest form of courtesy in this country should be extended to the Filipino people, that the people have the right to know how the public funds are spent, and that should prevail at all times," Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel said in his manifestation. ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro first objected to Abra Rep. Ching Bernos' motion to terminate the hearing but later withdrew, prompting Manuel to intervene to make their manifestation first before ending the budget deliberations. "I don't believe that it's proper for us to terminate the deliberations without the manifestations becoming part of the records of the House. We should give the members their right and the time to pursue their objections. We can't rush it again, Madam Chair. Again, the budget that is being discussed here is the Office of the President," Manuel said. Presiding chairperson Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, however, carried Bernos’ motion and terminated the hearing before allowing the members of the Makabayan bloc to raise their concerns in a two-minute manifestation. “At the point that the objection was withdrawn, then automatically the motion to terminate the budget briefing was carried,” Quimbo said. The three-member Makabayan bloc, namely, Manuel, Castro and Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, mainly argued why the OP approved the P1.25 million confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte notwithstanding that it was excluded under the General Appropriations Act in 2022. They also questioned the “excessive” travel expenses of the OP worth P1.15 billion and its P4.5-billion confidential and intelligence funds. “Regarding the confidential and intelligence funds, for the record, there are many of our compatriots who do not agree with this, given the record high confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President. But if we compare the OP's CIF, it is significantly larger [than the OVP],” Manuel stressed. Manuel said the confidential funds under the OP are P2.25 billion, while the intelligence funds are P2.31 billion. In total, he said, the CIF constitutes 43 percent of the OP's proposed budget. Echoing Manuel, Castro, meanwhile, argued that instead of giving the OP “courtesy” and “respect,” members of Congress must not allow secrecy and silence to prevail when the concerns of the Filipino people are too loud and echoing. “Why are there billions in secret funds when the urgent needs for aid, free education and medical services, affordable housing, and so on are piling up? Castro said. The teacher solon also quizzed the OP if their P4.56 billion CIF would lower the price of rice, other food in the market, electricity, water, and basic commodities. According to Castro, the OP must not go with the CIF trend, which first ballooned during the Duterte administration, as it goes against the Constitution and deprives Filipinos of transparency and full public disclosure. “This trend must not continue. This is against the policies of transparency and full public disclosure especially in matters related to public money, the government's obligation to fight graft, corruption, plunder, and other hocus pocus on the public's wealth, and other mandates of the Constitution,” she said. “ "We believe that the refusal of the OP, as well as the OVP, to undergo public deliberations regarding their budget especially their confidential and intelligence funds is just one of the increasing reasons why instead of approving their ‘black budgets,’ they should even be abolished.” In a similar vein, Brosas voiced concern that Mr. Marcos may have a hand in the unprogrammed funds and even the special purpose funds, given that the P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds are only part of the more than P1 trillion funds that the President will control next year. "The numbers are overwhelming, but at the end of the day, the Filipino people are making ends meet while Marcos Jr. has more than P1 trillion under his control," Brosas said. Panel chairperson, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, prior to the manifestation of the Makabayan bloc members, stressed the importance of the role of the OP, saying it “bears the immense duty of upholding the rule of law, ensuring justice, and preserving the unity and welfare of our nation.” “The presidency is not merely a symbolic figurehead or a ceremonial role; rather, it is the epicenter of governance, the fulcrum upon which the entire nation pivots. It is a position laden with responsibilities, obligations, and the immense weight of leadership,” Co said. The post OP budget sails through House, Makabayan tries to oppose termination of deliberations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate greenlights OVP’s P2.3-B budget
The Senate Committee on Finance on Monday approved the proposed P2.385-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President, including P500 million in confidential and intelligence funds. Vice President Sara Duterte was physically present at the budget deliberation that lasted about 90 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes the House Committee on Appropriations earlier took to approve the proposed budget. Senator Imee Marcos, vice chair of the Senate panel on finance, asked about the lack of internal guidelines for “handling, monitoring, and the reporting of in-kind donations” that the Commission on Audit had raised to the OVP. Rosalynne Sanchez, the OVP’s director for administrative and financial services, replied that they had prepared draft guidelines and expect to release them “within this quarter.” Meanwhile, OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio confirmed the deployment of 433 personnel to the newly created Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, or VPSPG. “The creation of the VPSPG is really for the protection of current and future vice presidents,” Ortonio said, pointing out that the number of personnel was determined by both the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police. “VPSPG personnel consist of admin personnel holding offices at the Vice President’s headquarters, while the rest are doing security and surveillance work in different satellite offices of the OVP,” he explained. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday deemed “inordinate and excessive” the 433 security personnel of the OVP, saying that there should be a “rational limit.” “I have been in Congress since 1987. I have not availed of security escorts,” he said. Over the weekend, the OVP said the VPSPG was formed independently of the Presidential Security Group in 2022 and that it did not make sense to compare its personnel count to those of other VPs. Duterte justified the number of escorts by saying that she also heads the Department of Education and serves as co-vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. According to Lagman, the salaries of the 433 personnel should not be sourced from the confidential funds of the OVP in accordance with the rules. “That is a completely different budget. Because the confidential funds cannot be used for the payment of salaries and emoluments of those who are involved in the confidential funds,” the seasoned lawmaker said. With Neil Alcober The post Senate greenlights OVP’s P2.3-B budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senators grill VP Duterte on proposed P500-M confidential funds
Senators on Monday quizzed Vice President Sara Duterte over her office request for confidential funds amounting to P500 million for the upcoming fiscal year. During the deliberation of the Senate Committee on Finance for the proposed P2.385 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President, Duterte was asked about her request for confidential funds. Of nine senators who were lined up to ask questions about the OVP budget, only Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senate Minority Deputy Leader Risa Hontiveros inquired about the allocation of confidential funds to Duterte’s office. Hontiveros particularly questioned Duterte on which mandates of the vice president needed the allocation of confidential funds. Duterte said all the OVP’s projects would require confidential funds. “All of the projects of the Office of the Vice President use the confidential funds that are intended for the safe, secure and successful implementation of programs, projects and activities and engagements of the OVP and all of the satellite offices, including the central office of the Office of the Vice President,” she said. The Vice President specifically said all the programs implemented by her office benefit from the confidential funds, such as entrepreneurship programs; peacebuilding in communities; tree-planting programs; feeding programs; disaster and relief operations; and free transportation programs. “In addition to that, I discharge the functions and duties of the secretary of the Department of Education. In addition to that, I was tasked by the president to co-chair the National Task Force on Ending Local Communists. In addition to that, I also took on the role of president of the Southeast Asian Ministers, Education Ministers Organization. All of these activities use confidential funds,” she said. “In addition, there are times when the President is on official trips, travel abroad. I chair the executive committee which is the caretaker of the Office of the President. This is an additional workload from all of the workload I have mentioned,” she added. Confidential funds are supposed to be utilized for “surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the said agency.” Duterte also said the liquidation of the allocated confidential funds was enumerated in the OVP’s report submitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate President and the Commission on Audit. She also confirmed that the OVP was undertaking surveillance activities and gathering intelligence – a mandate given by the Constitution to civilian government agencies such as the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and National Intelligence Coordination Agency. “That is correct. As an example, we did a surveillance of complaints from constituents in Bulacan with regard to the selling of OVP assistance and the selling of TUPAD projects in Bulacan," she said. This prompted Hontiveros to ask Duterte how she could ensure that there would be no duplication of work by her office and other civilian government agencies. “There is no redundancy and duplication of effort because we have different mandates from the other government agencies,” the Vice President responded. Duterte also argued that the OVP is not insisting on any amount for its confidential funds, adding that it is up to the members of Congress if they would grant her office's request. "The OVP can only propose the use of confidential funds based on Joint Circular 2015-01 but we leave it to the decision and discretion of Congress [which] has the power of the purse to decide whether to grant confidential funds to our office," she said. "We can only propose but we are not insisting. We can live without confidential funds, but of course, our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility of confidential funds in monitoring the safe, secure and successful implementations of the programs and projects and activities of the OVP," she added. Meanwhile, Pimentel asked Duterte for her basis in seeking P500 million in confidential funds. Duterte said the basis for her office’s request is Joint Circular No. 2015-01. Unsatisfied, Pimentel said that Joint Circular No. 2015-01 issued by COA and Departments of Budget and Management, of National Defense and of the Interior and Local Government and the Governance Commission for GOCCs in 2015 only “governs the use of confidential funds.” Duterte countered that “the fact there is Joint Circular No. 2015-01... presumes that national government agencies are allowed or can request confidential funds because otherwise there will not be a joint circular for the use of national government agencies...” Joint Circular No. 2015-01 contains guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting and audit of CIFs. After about an hour and a half, the Senate panel terminated the deliberation for the OVP’s proposed budget, which was longer compared to the 20-minute approval made by the House Committee on Appropriations for the OVP’s budget proposal for next year. Citing parliamentary courtesy, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. made a motion to terminate the budget discussion for the OVP’s proposed budget. Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa seconded Revilla’s motion. The post Senators grill VP Duterte on proposed P500-M confidential funds appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Logo redesign cheapest, says PAGCOR chair
The once-controversial redesign logo of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation that drew criticism from the public for costing P3 million in government funds is already the “cheapest,” said its chairperson Alejandro Tengco on Monday. Responding to Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel’s query during PAGCOR’s briefing on the 2024 national budget before the House Committee on Appropriations, Tengco justified the agency’s spending of P3 million for rebranding the logo was already a steal. In fact, he said, the graphic artist’s act of rebranding the old PAGCOR logo design for P3 million could be perceived as an act of charity. “That’s why that P3 million was very cheap,” Tengco said. During his interpolation, Manuel asked the top PAGCOR official why there was a need to spend such a vast amount, given that other international top brands such as Coca-cola, Twitter and Nike do not spend millions of dollars for such redesigning. “We, in the government, shouldn’t be saving more? And we claim we don’t have fiscal space for other budget items, but for that logo, there is,” Manuel said. The Makabayan lawmaker further noted that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which is also a part of the bureaucracy, did not spend millions of funds to redesign its 10-year-old logo, released in 2020. Manuel also said that the country has many graphic artists that could come up with logos that would not cost much. Tengco, on the other hand, countered that the P3 million paid by PAGCOR not only accounts for the logo itself since the graphic designer also has other deliverables, such as traveling the country to examine various divisions and departments of the agency to install the new logo. Moreover, the PAGCOR chief disclosed to the panel that the modification of their logo was to counter thousands of counterfeit licenses now in circulation. Tengco bared that there have been reports from various regions in the Philippines and other international jurisdictions that there are close to a thousand fake licenses going around now. These fake licenses, he said, are being used for illicit operations worldwide, particularly in London, Turkey, Curacao, and also within the country’s borders. “So we decided to redesign the logo immediately to be able to counter such,” Tengco said, brushing off allegations that the revision of the logo was solely for the luxury of the chairman and the board. “So we have to rebrand. When you rebrand, that means you don’t just do a logo specifically. One, the graphic designer, who was awarded the design, has to ensure that the said logo’s implementation and use will be properly done,” the PAGCOR chief told the panel. Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez raised concerns that PAGCOR’s new logo could have infringed on the copyrights of Petron, which many believe have comparisons to PAGCOR’s logo. “It’s not only about the expedite of P3 million, but the fact that the logo that you have has a big similarity to the Petro logo. It looks the same,” Rodriguez said. Tengco, however, confidently answered Rodriguez that he himself examined the logo and denied claims that there was intent to duplicate Petron’s. “I have asked the artist, and we have also asked the artist of Petron. So far, nothing. Actually, eight logos were presented to the board,” he said. “Unfortunately, for some, that’s what the board chose. But definitely, the graphic artist had assured us that there was no infringement and there was no attempt to copy such,” Tengco added. The post Logo redesign cheapest, says PAGCOR chair appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
POGO firm left P2.2 billion unpaid fees – PAGCOR chief
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. lost some P2.2 billion in receivables from a Philippine offshore gaming operator company that had closed down, PAGCOR chair Alejandro Tengco reported during yesterday’s resumption of the budget hearing of the House committee on appropriations on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024......»»
Kuya Bong appeals for Covid-19 allowance release
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has called upon the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management to expedite the release of Covid-19 allowances for healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of the battle against the ongoing pandemic and other health threats. Recognizing the dedication and sacrifices of healthcare workers, Senator Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said in an interview after his visit to Quezon City on Monday the urgent need to provide them with their well-deserved benefits in accordance with the law. Go also underscored that even if the State of Public Health Emergency due to Covid-19 is eventually lifted, the government must ensure that allowances due to healthcare workers are provided to them since the budget has been allocated in this year’s appropriations. To recall, former President Rodrigo Duterte announced on 8 March 2020, a state of public health emergency in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The declaration requires mandatory reporting, quarantine measures and disease control prevention efforts. According to DoH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed his intention to lift the state of public health emergency related to Covid-19. Herbosa said they are awaiting a formal order regarding this decision. GM If the declaration is revoked, it will also mean the discontinuation of the special allowance provided to healthcare workers who are taking care of Covid-19 patients. Go, for his part, expressed reservations on the lifting of the state of public emergency since the threat of Covid-19 still exists. He, however, stated that he leaves it to the health officials and experts to determine the best way forward towards pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, Go maintained his plans to champion another round of salary increase for government workers. With a deep understanding of the invaluable contributions made by public servants across various sectors, the lawmaker believes it is imperative to continuously improve their working conditions and ensure fair compensation. The post Kuya Bong appeals for Covid-19 allowance release appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lawmakers urge PNP to expedite purchase of body cams
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police to take action on various issues surrounding the agency's use of body-worn cameras. Among issues raised during the House committee on public order and safety's motu propio inquiry into the procurement of body-worn cameras and other mission-essential equipment of the PNP was the procurement of cheaper cameras but with better specifications, as well as the need to expedite the PNP's acquisition of the equipment. The panel's chair, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, advised officers to opt for a low-cost but high-brand to make the most of their budget after finding that the PNP's initial bodycam purchase cost P25,950. "Maybe in our next purchase, make sure it is a better brand because if you look at the P26,000 price of what you procured, we can already buy the best brand," Fernandez said in Filipino. According to PNP Maj. Gen. Ronaldo Olay, body-worn cameras were given P333.994 million in the 2018 General Appropriations Act. The chairman said there are cheaper cameras, such as GoPro, which costs only P20,000 but has high-end features. Fernandez even claimed he bought bodycams for just P8,000 during his time as a mayor. Meanwhile, Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan asked the PNP to expedite its bodycam procurement after learning that the existing procurement system would take nearly 20 years to provide these devices to the full uniformed force. Given the backlog of at least 43,000 bodycams as of this year, Yamsuan said it would take at least two decades for the PNP to provide such devices to the entire police force. "When we think about it, it will take 20 years before we can fill the backlog," Yamsuan, a former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, told PNP officials. "It's vital now especially, not only for the victim. The police are also victims. When you are wrongly accused, you also need to protect yourself.'" The fact that the PNP's proposed budget for 2024 includes funding for the purchase of only 2,000 bodycams prompted Yamsuan's call. “You should think about yourselves and enhancing the capability of your agency,” the lawmaker told the PNP. The PNP currently possesses 2,696 body cameras that were purchased in 2021, Deputy Director of the PNP Directorate for Logistics Flynn Dongbo said. The post Lawmakers urge PNP to expedite purchase of body cams appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»