Teach the brat respect

Once in a while, some members of Congress manage to remember their obligation to the nation.

- BOO CHANCO

Maybe it is still due to partisan politics but it is good the brat is being taught a good lesson on how to respect our money. Cutting the OVP's budget to the level of what it was during the terms of Binay and Leni is the right thing to do.

The historical numbers based on DBM data reveal the level of the OVP budget through the years.

In FY 2016, it was P500 million given to Binay and utilized by Leni. In 2017, it was P428,618,000 as Leni was demonized and insulted by Duterte making his minions punish Leni with a small budget.

So, it was in 2018, with P543,946,000; 2019 with P663,381,000; 2020 with P699,883,000; 2021 with P900,000,000 and 2022 with P702,035,000 inherited by the brat. So, she asked BBM for confidential funds worth P125 million which she spent in 11 days.

In 2023, the brat's budget was P2.3 billion.

This year, 2024, it is P1.885 billion. For next year, the budget subcommittee headed by Rep. Stella Quimbo reduced the OVP budget to P733 billion, just about in line with historical OVP budgets.

What was cut from her budget proposal will go to the DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program and the DOH Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program.

While the decision to cut the brat's budget was unanimous at the committee level, it still has to go to the whole House, then the Senate and the bicameral conference committee. Political horse trading can still happen.

It is really about time that the brat learns to respect our people's money. Because she is part of a political dynasty in a provincial city where her family can't be questioned, she is used to treating public funds as her personal resource.