Former senators have urged the Senate to activate the committee that would exercise congressional oversight on how government agencies with intelligence and confidential funds (CIFs) are using their budget.
“We have organized and activated a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds. Its primary function is to exercise congressional oversight on how such funds are utilized,” former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said in a statement.
Lacson also said the said Committee can demand, if it so desires, the submission of pertinent documents of CIFs such as approved intelligence project proposals and the like.
“The minority bloc is an indispensable part of the select committee,” he said.
“The present Senate can constitute such a select committee by electing its members and thereafter exercise its functions,” the former lawmaker added.
Former Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon also said that in exercise of its oversight function, Congress can review, and inquire, in executive session, on the utilization of the CIF.
“This should be expressly required under the GAA, (for emphasis, because this is an inherent power of Congress). Unless checked, the use of the CIF is open to abuse,” Drilon said.
“Moreover, the agencies entitled to CIF should be limited to those involved only in national security and peace and order,” he added.
Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also supported the proposal that “active oversight functions should be exercised.”
“The minority leader is member of all committees. The SP (Senate President) should encourage the oversight chairpersons to practice due diligence in guarding the people’s money,” he said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she welcomes the support and views of their former colleagues in the Senate but reiterated the need to push for the realignment of the questionable CIFs lodged under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) at the soonest time possible, while the Senate is deliberating on the P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023.
Both the OVP and the DepEd are under the supervision of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“For one, the Senate minority so desires to have—not just that oversight—over the use of confidential and even intelligence funds. But of us, Sen. Minority Leader (Aquilino) Koko Pimentel is pushing to realign those confidential funds elsewhere in the DepEd budget for line items that the Department really needs, especially in the midst of our education crisis,” Hontiveros said in an interview over the ANC News Channel.
Hontiveros, nevertheless, said she appreciates the reminder raised by Lacson and Drilon, “and like what former Sen. Ping said, the role of the minority is essential.”
“And this is just one of the ways that we believe and intend to continue serving,” she said.
Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said both Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva have agreed to revive the Senate Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds.
“I was told it will be revived after the budget (deliberations),” Angara said.