Senate body swiftly approves President’s 2025 budget

THE Senate finance committee on Monday swiftly ended its hearing on the Office of the President’s P10.5-billion proposed budget for next year, after senators chose not to raise questions about its spending plan, citing “parliamentary courtesy.”

In under 10 minutes, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada, Jr. moved to end the budget briefing “in the spirit of parliamentary courtesy” to the Executive branch.

Senators Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay-Angeles and Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares backed the motion.

Ms. Llamanzares, who heads the finance committee, lauded the creation of a Presidential Office for Child Protection, which she said is crucial to the safety of Filipino children.

Under Executive Order 67, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. issued last month, the body will oversee government programs on the prevention of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

It will submit policy recommendations to the President and work with agencies such as the Council for the Welfare of Children to come up with an updated National Plan of Action for Children.

Based on a 2022 International Justice Mission report, nearly half-a-million Filipino children were trafficked to produce pornography in 2022.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has said about 20% of children aged 12-17 were prone to online sexual abuse and exploitation, with 23% of children not telling anyone of the harm they had experienced.

The House of Representatives committee on appropriations on Sept. 9 also quickly approved the President’s budget, even as lawmakers questioned why confidential and intelligence funds make up half of the President’s budget.

Mr. Marcos’ office is seeking P4.56 billion in secret funds next year — P2.25 billion in confidential funds and P2.31 billion in intelligence budgets, based on the 2025 National Expenditure Program.

These funds are meant for surveillance and intelligence information-gathering activities, according to a 2015 joint circular between the Commission on Audit, Defense, Budget, and Interior and Local Government departments.

“In turn, it is our duty to support this commitment by approving the budget that will be the instrument for achieving our national goals,” Mr. Estrada said. “We trust in the transparent and accountable stewardship of public funds by the Office of the President.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez