Senate Minority Bloc Seeks Realignment Of Intel Funds

The Senate minority bloc will make a last-ditch attempt to have the controversial confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of certain civilian agencies be cut and transferred to other urgent government programs during the period of amendments on the proposed P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) next week.

In separate statements, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros said they will make a formal motion to have at least portions of the total P9.3 billion in CIFs realigned to several urgent but underfunded programs such as the Supplemental Feeding Program and the Children’s Hospital.

Priority for realignment are the confidential funds (CFs) allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at P500 million and the Department of Education (DepEd) with P150 million, they said.

“I will move in writing to amend the budget of the OVP, to delete the confidential funds,” Pimentel told reporters on Tuesday, Nov. 15, adding that the OVP and the DepEd have no mandates to justify the allocation of funds for confidential expenses.

Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said the CFs of the DepEd should be utilized properly to ensure the safety and protection of students.

He stressed the need to protect students from child molesters, kidnappers, drug dealers and other child predators.

Former Senate president Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, urged the Senate to reconstitute its oversight committee on intelligence and confidential funds to monitor and scrutinize the disbursements of the multi-billion lump-sum funds.

“The confidential and intelligence funds can be scrutinized by Congress in the exercise of its oversight function. I call upon Congress to activate the oversight committee on intelligence and confidential funds,” Drilon told “The Chiefs” on One News on Monday night.

“In the budget cycle, they can reduce or completely remove the allocation for CIFs where they see abuse when the accounting is made in an executive session,” he said.

Effective, efficient

After coursing through plenary deliberations at the Senate on Monday, the DepEd has vowed to “effectively and efficiently” utilize its 2023 budget.

“Under the leadership of Vice President and Secretary Sara Duterte, and with the renewed trust and confidence from our lawmakers, the department is committed to effectively and efficiently utilize its funds in providing accessible, quality basic education for the Filipino youth that is both inclusive and empowering,” it added.

According to DepEd, the senators ensured that the agency would have “sufficient funding” to begin the road to recovery following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate approved a proposed budget of P667.18 billion for the DepEd and its attached agencies, including an additional budget of P581.6 million for special education and P154.4 million for indigenous peoples’ education.

In a separate statement, Duterte expressed gratitude to senators for approving the OVP’s proposed P2.3-billion budget, more than three times higher than its current budget of P702 mil-lion.

“The approval bolsters the OVP’s determination to ensure that social services and other government programs and projects reach communities and bring about positive development and provide solutions to the problems of our fellow Filipinos across the country – especially those who are living in underprivileged communities and those battered by natural calamities and armed conflicts,” Duterte said.

Duterte’s spokesman Reynold Munsayac earlier said that the confidential funds, which will be used separate from the DepEd allocation, will be utilized to support projects related to national security and peace and order.

Hopeful

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday welcomed the swift passage of its proposed 2023 budget at the Senate and House of Representatives even as it expressed hope that the impending cuts would be restored.

“CHR hopes that the anticipated increase restores the budget for its personnel services, maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay to its 2022 level. This is an additional P117.873 million so that CHR can effectively and efficiently deliver its protection, promotion, policy and prevention mandates,” the commission said.

It also requested an addition P20 million for its new central office building, which was constructed as its current offices are located in condemned structures.

The commission originally requested a budget of P1.646 billion next year, but the government only approved P846.377 million. The commission said it is cautiously optimistic on the prospects of an increased budget next year. – With Janvic Mateo