MANILA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Philippines' lower house of congress has reduced funding for Vice President Sara Duterte by nearly two-thirds in the proposed 2025 budget, highlighting a significant political split between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ahead of the midterm elections next year.
The lower house, led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the president, voted 285-3 late on Wednesday to approve a budget of 6.352 trillion pesos ($113.5 billion) for 2025, a 10% increase over the current year. Funding for the vice president was slashed by more than 1.3 billion pesos, leaving her office with only 733 million pesos.
Duterte stated, 'Our job will continue no matter what our budget is,' in response to the cut. Romualdez defended the proposed budget, asserting it would be sufficient for the vice president's office to maintain its services.
Despite being invited to budget deliberations, Duterte attended only once, leading to criticisms and calls from lawmakers to reduce or eliminate her budget. Romualdez remarked, 'As representatives of the people, we expect all public officials to fulfil their duties, especially when it comes to the national budget.'
Historically, the vice president's role is largely ceremonial without significant power unless the president vacates office or appoints them to a cabinet position. Duterte previously served as education secretary in Marcos' cabinet until her resignation in June, which marked a breakdown in the political alliance between the two influential families.
Political analysts suggest that the budget cut reflects the ongoing feud between the Marcos and Duterte factions. Ederson Tapia, a public administration professor, noted, 'It would be difficult to support the argument that the budget cut has nothing to do with the breakdown of the 'Uniteam.' The battle lines have been drawn, and more conflicts are expected as the midterm elections approach, particularly leading up to the 2028 presidential election.'
(Source: Reuters, Date: 2024-09-26)