BBM can augment any item in budget - Escudero

Parrying criticisms over the cut in the budget of the Department of Education, Senate President Francis Escudero said DepEd has P36.134 billion in unobligated and unspent budget for its computerization program since 2022 that it can tap for additional funds if allowed by President Marcos.

- - With Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla

"The President has the power to augment any item in the budget from savings or unspent items in the budget; this way he need not veto other line items in the GAA (General Appropriations Act) in order to provide the DepEd additional funds," Escudero said in a Viber message to reporters.

Escudero's statement came as Education Secretary Sonny Angara and teachers' groups decried Congress' decision to cut the DepEd's 2025 budget by P12 billion.

The Senate President said Marcos can also restore the P10 billion that was slashed from the proposed funding for DepEd.

He cited figures from DepEd documents submitted to Congress during the budget hearing.

In 2022, some P13.068 billion was allocated to the DepEd for its computerization program, but some P10.03 billion remained unobligated.