Senate forms oversight panel to monitor gov't use of confidential, intel funds

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Monday, November 21 sponsored Senate Resolution 302 creating a ‘’Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds (CIFs).

The Senate minority group led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III had questioned the necessity or appropriateness in allocating P9.3 billion in CIF funds that are embedded in the 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

“Since the 10th Congress, it has been the tradition of the Senate to constitute a Select Oversight Committee for these funds, and we must, in the 19th Congress, continue this tradition,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri emphasized the importance of the CIFs in ensuring the safety and security of our people.

“Crime looks and moves differently than we are used to. Sometimes it creeps into vulnerable spaces, like schools—where illegal drugs or child pornography can find root in. So in these times, we need to be more trusting of our government agencies. We have to have faith that they would use every inch of diligence and discretion in undertaking surveillance and intelligence gathering in the discharge of their mandates.”

While he recognized the necessity of confidential and intelligence funds, he also stressed the importance of remaining vigilant over their utilization.

Pimentel said confidential funds should be lodged in law enforcement agencies.

He had questioned the P500 million confidential funds for the office of Vice President Sara Duterte and P150 million in confidential funds for the secretary of Department of Education (DepEd) who is Vice President Duterte.

The bulk of the P9.3 billion CIFs are embedded in the Office of the President’s 2023 budget.

In a statement, Zubiri said:

“These are not subject to the usual or regular auditing rules and procedures of the Commission on Audit (COA), as compared to other expense items in the budget. So it falls on us, on this proudly democratic and independent Senate, to reactivate the Select Oversight Committee, where we can subject these confidential and intelligence funds to checks and balances.

“We are cognizant of our own primordial role, power, and responsibility as holders of the power of the purse. We, the elected representatives of the people, must ensure that the funds are judiciously and rightly used.

“We will exercise the full extent of our oversight function: We will monitor the use of these funds; we will go over the reports relevant to each agencies’ use of funds; and we will conduct hearings if necessary.’’

Zubiri chairs the Select Oversight Committee.

He is joined and is joined by Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Minority Leader Pimentel and Senators Juan Edgardo M. Angara and Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa as members.

Angara is the chairman of the Senate finance committee.

“Babantay tayo sa pondong ito. Pera ito ng bayan—kaya bilang Senado ng bayan, sisiguraduhin natin na taumbayan rin ang makikinabang dito (We will oversee these funds. This is the people’s money and the Senate would assure the people would benefit from these funds),’’ the Senate chief stressed.