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Koko wants OVP’s confidential fund realigned: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, during the resumption of the budget plenary deliberations Monday, November 14, 2022, questions the P500 million confidential funds (CF) being lodged at the Office of the Vice President. The minority leader pointed out that in 2022, there was no item in the OVP budget for CF, and that the amount could be realigned to the Philippine Postal Corporation which is roughly needing almost the same amount to reimburse the expenses for franking privileges. Further questioning the OVP budget for CF, Pimentel stressed that the mandate of the Vice President, according to the 1987 Constitution, is to serve the remaining days of a President’s term “in case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation (Art. VII Sec. 8).” A Vice President can also function as an acting President in two instances: (1) if the elected President failed to qualify or (2) if a President has not been chosen, according to Pimentel, citing Article VII Section 7 of the Constitution. The senator also questioned the big jump of the OVP budget for 2023 amounting to P2.29 billion from the previous year’s P702 million budget. Sen. Sonny Angara, who is defending the OVP budget, said that for the past years, the budget of the OVP has been increasing. “I am aware of that but maybe not of this magnitude,” Pimentel said. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)