Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Thursday, Nov. 24 warned the Executive branch that it would chop off the controversial confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) in the 2024 national budget if there is mismanagement in the 2023 national budget.
‘’Let me reiterate my position when I sponsored Senate Resolution No. 302 reactivating the Senate Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds. National security and peace and order risks and threats have evolved over time,’’ Zubiri said.
This followed the approval by the Senate on second and third and final reading the 2023 P5.268 trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) where it realigned P120 million from the proposed P150 million confidential fund to support the ‘’maintainance, operating and other expenses (MOOE)’ for the Healthy Learners Institution Program found in the Support to Schools and Learners Program of the Department of Education (DepEd).
This left P30 million as confidential funds for the DepEd.
The P150 million for the DepEd was sought by Vice President Sara Duterte as education secretary.
‘’If the Senate finds out any hint of mismanagement or misuse of the funds, I will be the one to ask to chop off these CIFs in their budget next year. Through this Committee, we can also exact accountability from the agencies and its officers,’’ Zubiri said.
Zubiri said their notion that surveillance and intelligence gathering are solely done and exclusively lodged with intelligence and law enforcement agencies is misplaced.
‘’That is why over the years, civilian agencies such as the DOF, DFA, DOJ, DSWD, DOTr, DICT, ERC, and COA have received, and in some cases, continue to receive confidential funds for the effective and expedient discharge of their functions,’’ he pointed out.
The Senate chief explained that the grant of confidential funds to these agencies not traditionally endowed with surveillance and intelligence mandates would enable them to immediately gather necessary information and develop appropriate interventions or programs to address child sexual abuse and pornography, illegal drugs, terrorism, insurgency, and cybersecurity, among the many emerging and pressing societal challenges we experience today. In fact, even local government units have confidential funds used in addressing localized peace and order problems.
To promote better accountability and transparency and to allay the fear of some, Zubiri said the Senate in its final version of the proposed 2023 budget realigned a total of P172 million worth of confidential funds to other regular MOOE items, thereby making these subject to regular auditing rules.
A special provision under the DepEd budget was inserted requiring agencies to submit to congress the agency’s proposed work plan on the use of their confidential funds.
The confidential funds of the following agencies were likewise realigned to their MOOE: DFA (P5 million), DOJ (P19.2 million), DSWD (P2 million), Ombudsman (P20 million) and other executive Offices (P6 million).
‘’We repeat one very important fact - the use of these funds will still be subject to audit by COA. Moreover, the Select Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds will exercise its full oversight power over these funds,’’ Zubiri explained.