P6.352-T proposed 2025 budget set for final reading on Sept. 25
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00:00Government will cease to function without its much-needed lifeblood, funds from taxpayers' money.
00:06That is why the lower house is working hard and is poised to approve the 2025 national budget.
00:12Isaiah Mirafuentes filed this report.
00:16Approval of 6.352 trillion peso budget for next year scheduled for final reading on Wednesday.
00:24This comes after two weeks of plenary debates in the house regarding the budget.
00:29According to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the early approval by Congress will allow the Senate enough time to review the national budget for the coming year.
00:40Meanwhile, Congress is set to recess next weekend.
00:44On Monday, Congress was busy with budget hearings due to numbers of agencies scheduled for that day.
00:52On the first day of this week, one of the hot items in today's budget hearing was the proposed allocation for the NICA, or the National Intelligence Coordinating Council.
01:03This was closely scrutinized by the Makabayan bloc.
01:07The Makabayan bloc has long suspected that NICA may be behind red-tagging in the country.
01:14During the presentation by Rep. Ton Atcharon, one of the sponsors of NICA's budget was immediately bombarded with questions from two members of Makabayan bloc,
01:25Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Partylist Raul Manuel.
01:31Brosas questioned whether the NTF-ELCAC funding was being used to address red-tagging issues, citing reports of students still being red-tagged.
01:43The NICA insists it is utilizing its budget appropriately, stating that part of their funding is allocated for operations in the West Philippine Sea.
01:54In the end, the proposed 2025 budget for NICA passed the House.
02:00Discussion also covered funding for the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.
02:07Lawmakers expressed their desire to see a breakdown of the agency's contributions to maintaining peace in the country.
02:16Meanwhile, the proposed allocations for agencies such as the Dangerous Drugs Board, Presidential Management Staff, and Mindanao Development Authority quickly passed Congress' plenary muster.
02:30The budget allocated for the Office of the Vice President is also expected to be thoroughly crushed out.
02:37Prior to this, the OVP stated that they have submitted all the necessary requirements to Congress,
02:45and the decision regarding the budget for the Office of the Second-in-Command is now in the House of the Representatives.
02:53Isaiah Mirafuentes, from The National TV, for a new and better Philippines.