Alvarez: More 'bang for the buck' if OVP, DepEd confidential funds given to NSC instead

Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

Vice President Sara Duterte's sought confidential funds are better off given to "more appropriate" agencies like National Security Council (NSC). 

This, in a nutshell, was Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez's suggestion Tuesday, Sept. 26, saying that it would give the government "more bang for the buck". 

"Confidential funds play a crucial role in our government, especially in safeguarding our nation's security. Nevertheless, it is imperative that these funds be channeled to an office uniquely equipped, both in terms of mandate and expertise, for their efficient stewardship," Alvarez, a former House Speaker, said in a statement. 

The Office of the Vice President's (OVP) allocation for confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2024 is P500 million. The Department of Education (DepEd), which is headed by Duterte, had been earmarked with P150 million in confidential funds. 

"Logic and reason dictates that confidential funds for the OVP and the DepEd are not mission-critical in ending what little remains of the communist threat to the nation," Alvarez said. 

He said he strongly believes that such funds should be entrusted to the office that possesses the inherent mandate and expertise to manage them effectively—the NSC. 

As the head of the NSC, the National Security Adviser is well-equipped to make informed decisions regarding national security concerns, reckoned Alvarez. 

Duterte, in her statement defending the request, indicated that the funds would be utilized for "the safe, secure, and successful implementation of programs, projects, activities, and engagements of all the satellite offices, including the central office of the OVP". 

Alvarez noted that the Vice President herself had acknowledged that confidential funds from 2023 were used for programs unrelated to security matters, such as free bus rides, tree planting, and other initiatives. 

“The government consistently scored and won victories against the communist rebellion and insurgency steadily and convincingly through the years. And these were achieved during the previous administration practically without any confidential funds allocated to the OVP and DepEd," said Alvarez, who is an ex-ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

The Mindanao solon emphasized the importance of fiscal prudence and aligning confidential funds with their primary purpose: national security. 

"We must ensure that every peso of taxpayer money is expended wisely and to the ultimate benefit of the Filipino people,” he said.