Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 13) — The Senate Committee on Finance has lodged ₱250 million in the proposed 2024 budget for the state-run Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13), but this would only be for the payment of retirement benefits.
Sen. JV Ejercito revealed this on Monday during the chamber’s third day of plenary debates for the proposed 2024 government spending plan. He was speaking on behalf of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) as the budget sponsor.
\”The ₱250 million will be for the retirees,\” Ejercito said. \”They (IBC-13) are still really begging for budgetary support for their operations.\”
He added the IBC is making a “suntok sa buwan (impossible)” request of ₱1.2 billion for next year, which includes ₱140 million for personnel services, ₱500 million for capital expenditure, ₱83 million for maintenance and other operating expenses, and ₱500 billion for the firm’s yet-to-be-paid benefits of around 160 retirees.
\”I noticed the budget structure, ang laman lang talaga ng budget ng IBC is ₱250 million and it’s because of the Senate committee. Kung hindi kumilos ang Senate committee, zero,\” Sen. Koko Pimentel said during his interpellation.
[Translation: I noticed the budget structure, IBC only has ₱250 million and it’s because of the Senate committee. If the Senate committee did not put it in, IBC will have zero funding.]
Pimentel was told that IBC’s corporate operating budget was \”zero\” this year, prompting him to ask how the firm’s executives were being paid.
Ejercito said that according to IBC-13 president and CEO Jose Policarpio Jr., the company’s main operating budget for 2023 came from budgetary support given for this year.
Under the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which is prepared by the budget department, IBC-13 did not receive any funding. The Senate moved to put over ₱600 million for the broadcasting company but this was slashed to ₱187 million after the bicameral conference.
Ejercito said ₱125 million has been released for retirement benefits.
The issue of unpaid retirement benefits in IBC-13 was the first topic Pimentel, the minority leader, raised during his interpellation of the PCO’s budget.
The state broadcaster earlier asked for lawmakers’ support during the budget hearing in the House of Representatives as the agency was allocated zero funds anew under the 2024 NEP.
However, according to the Senate panel’s report, the lower chamber’s 2024 General Appropriations Bill did not also allocate funds for IBC-13 next year.
