The House of Representatives’ budget for 2021 has increased by P1 billion as Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco continues to appoint his allies as Deputy Speakers.
Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor revealed the raise in the House’s 2021 budget as he lamented the absence of additional funds for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.
In a statement Sunday (December 27), Defensor said the Senate also supplemented its 2021 budget by P1 billion, bringing the two chambers’ combined appropriations to P28.5 billion.
Defensor said the increases for the House and Senate were part of the P183 billion in realignments the two chambers made in the “programmed” or tax-funded portion of the budget.
“None of that amount was added to the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines that will save lives and livelihood, revive the economy and return the country to pre-pandemic normality,” he said.
Under the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, the available fund for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines is P2.5 billion.
There is an additional funding of P72 billion for the procurement of vaccines, but this was put under unprogrammed funds that can only be tapped when the government exceeds its revenue targets.
A record high 32 Deputy Speakers has been appointed by Velasco since wresting the speakership from Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano in October.
Having Deputy Speakers isn’t cheap, as Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed last year that each Deputy Speaker could reportedly get a P1.5-billion allocation under the national budget.
Aside from the P2-billion increases in the budgets of the House and Senate, Defensor said the 2021 appropriations of the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo was raised by P229 million.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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