Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines鈥� 聽 The fight for the 2025 budget of the聽 Office of the Vice聽 President 聽 (OVP) is like the song 鈥淭he Impossible Dream,鈥� Sen. Ronald聽 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa said on Wednesday.
鈥淭o dream the impossible dream, to fight an unbeatable foe鈥︹�� Dela Rosa sang in response to queries about the OVP鈥檚 budget.
Voting 18-0 with one abstention on Tuesday, the Senate maintained the P1.3 billion聽 cut in the OVP budget, leaving聽 it with only P733 million for 2025.
Malacanang鈥檚 original proposal was聽 P2.03 billion, but it was reduced to P733 million聽 in the House of Representatives.
Dela Rosa declined to say how the Senate decided to adopt the House version during a caucus, before voting on it on third and聽 final reading.
鈥淗uwag聽 na lang聽 nyo kami pag away-awayin (Don鈥檛 make us quarrel).聽 We respect the leadership of the Senate,鈥� he simply said in an interview in the Senate.
Dela Rosa, however, added that some senators like him 鈥渢ried聽 to make adjustments.鈥� He did not elaborate.
Told about the OVP鈥檚 alleged failure to submit pertinent documents that would justify an increase in the budget, Dela Rosa聽 said 鈥渏ustification is not needed.鈥澛�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need justifications. We need mercy. Justification is not needed,鈥澛� he said.
When asked if he thinks an increase in the OVP budget聽 is still possible in the聽 bicameral conference committee,聽 the senator said: 鈥淗indi nga nakalusot dito sa atin sa sa caucus , dun pa sa bicam pa.鈥�
Dela Rosa does not think that Vice President Sara Duterte鈥檚聽 recent tirades against President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� R. Marcos Jr. could have聽 affected the budget of her office.
鈥淢arami pa rin kami ha鈥ero sige lang, we support our leadership if that is the decision of the leadership of Senate,鈥� said the senator, who is聽 known to be an ally of the Vice President.
Duterte, during the weekend, claimed that she had already , his wife聽 Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.
In a press conference, Duterte made it very clear that she was not joking.
鈥淢ay kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 鈥楰apag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.鈥� No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako,鈥� the Vice President said.
(I already talked to someone. I told him, 鈥業f they kill me, kill Bongbong Marcos, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.鈥� No joke, no joke. I鈥檝e given instructions.)