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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 5 agencies stripped of confidential funds in 2024 budget; find out here

5 agencies stripped of confidential funds in 2024 budget; find out here

Published Oct 10, 2023 08:33 am

At A Glance

  • Five agencies--including a combined three that are directly under the control of the top two officials of the land--will be stripped of their confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024. 

IMG-90cb825565abea8e88487448a9044386-V.jpgHouse of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

 

 

 

 

 

Five agencies--including a combined three that are directly under the control of the top two officials of the land--will be stripped of their confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024. 

Getting zero confidential funds under next year's GAB are the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Departments of Education (DepEd), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Agriculture (DA) and Foreign Affairs (DFA), Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo announced in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 10. 

Quimbo is a senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations. She is also part of the "small committee" that tasked to collate individual amendments of House members to the 2024 GAB. 

Based on the panel’s recommendation, a total of P1.23 billion in confidential funds were realigned in the budget measure. 

Another small committee member, appropriations panel Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, announced back on Sept. 27 that the confidential funds of OVP and DepEd--both under Vice President Sara Duterte--would be reallocated. 

It should be noted that the DA is under President Marcos. He has served as agriculture secretary since his first day in Malacañang on June 30, 2022. 

The other two small committee members are House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe and House Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan. All four were present at the presser. 

Quimbo said the move to strip the five agencies of their confidential funds was made through a "unanimous decision" of the small committee 

"Instead, bulk of the funding will be channeled to agencies in charge of ensuring national security especially in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)," she said. 

"We believe that the House of Representatives is on the right side of history. We are responding to the call of the times and the volatile situation in the [WPS] calls for the immediate and decisive action to protect our national sovereignty," added Quimbo.

Related Tags

small committee Confidential funds stella quimbo
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