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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Makabayan sought transparency on CIFs even before issue with VP Duterte

Makabayan sought transparency on CIFs even before issue with VP Duterte

Published Oct 20, 2023 04:38 am

At A Glance

  • The Makabayan bloc filed a bill that sought transparency on confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) even before the militants took to task Vice President Sara Duterte on the hot button issue.
  • The militant solons filed House Bill (HB) No.7158 or the Intelligence and Confidential Funds Transparency Bill last February.

IMG-723cf8eb08dfbec64539763375517298-V.jpg(MANILA BULLETIN)

Did you know that the Makabayan bloc filed a bill that sought transparency for confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) even before the militants took to task Vice President Sara Duterte on the hot button issue?

Makabayan member ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro prodded the House leadership on Friday, Oct. 20 to fast track House Bill (HB) No.7158 or Intelligence and Confidential Funds Transparency Bill.

The measure was filed last Feb. 14, 2023 in the current 19th Congress, or over six months before the discussions on the proposed P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2024 began.

"Sa dami ng mga isyung sumulpot dahil sa patagong paggamit sa confidential at intelligence funds, marapat na mas gawin itong transparent at mapanagot ang mga opisyal sa na mali itong ginagamit," said Castro, who is a deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives.

"The Commission on Audit (COA) has repeatedly noted the main issue in confidential and intelligence funds—they escape genuine audit and public scrutiny, while the ones handling them escape accountability to the taxpayers," she noted.

"It is high time for the government to rectify this unconstitutional mode of

allocating intelligence and confidential funds that are free from audit, public scrutiny and official accountability," the measure stated.

Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc repeatedly assailed the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on the subject of confidential funds during the budget process in the House, which concluded late September.

Specifically, the militant solons criticized the OVP for its supposed spending of P125 million worth of confidential funds for a period of just 11 days in December 2022.

Confidential funds are special lump sum funds in the national budget. These funds follow special rules for auditing.

The bill was first filed by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño during the 15th Congress as HB No. 4127. It was refiled by Bayan Muna Party-List during the 16th, 17th and 18th Congresses.

Related Tags

act teachers party-list intelligence funds makabayan bloc Confidential funds Sara Duterte FRANCE CASTRO
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