House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France Castro underscored the importance of placing transparency and accountability above traditional practices in government, particularly when the public’s interest is involved. This assertion arises in light of the ongoing debate regarding the substantial budget reduction for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for the year 2025.
“Transparency and accountability must be above traditions,” Rep. Castro asserted. “If not, then what we will have are just dogmas that do not serve the interest of the people but those of their oppressors.”
The continuous scrutiny by the budget committee of the House of Representatives has resulted in a decision to cut the Office of the Vice President’s budget by more than 60%, due to apprehensions regarding unaccounted expenses. Rep. Castro highlighted the consistent vigilance of the Makabayan bloc in examining government budgets.
“The Makabayan bloc has consistently scrutinized the budgets of every government agency for years and not just the Office of the Vice President. It is only now though that anomalies of this magnitude had been unearthed at the OVP,” she stated.
The budget reduction decision was met with criticism from Senator Joel Villanueva, who defended the traditional swift approval of the OVP’s budget. Villanueva argued for maintaining legislative traditions irrespective of the officeholder, but Rep. Castro countered this stance by underscoring the need for financial prudence and accountability.
The backdrop of this budget cut includes the OVP’s previous record-breaking budget increase in 2023 and the ongoing controversy over alleged improper disbursement of P125 million in confidential funds. Rep. Castro urges for a more transparent accounting from the OVP and stresses the obligation of public officials to justify the use of taxpayers’ money.
With the people’s welfare in mind, Rep. Castro calls for continued vigilance and responsible governance to ensure that public funds genuinely serve the needs of the Filipino people.#
