Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (Facebook)

The "small committee" tasked to collate individual amendments from House members in connection with the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024 has until Oct. 10, 2023 to finish its job. 

Thus, said House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co in a statement Wednesday, Oct. 4, a day after the small committee convened for the first time. 

"On Tuesday (Oct. 3, 2023), the small committee tasked by the House plenary to receive and resolve individual amendments to House Bill (HB) No. 8980 or FY 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), held its first organizational meeting," he said. 

"There are numerous budget items lined up for amendments and/or realignment including the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) of various civilian agencies. As authorized by the House and consistent with parliamentary precedent, the small committee has until Oct. 10, 2023 to finish its task," Co said. 

The small committee is composed of Co, appropriations panel Senior Vice Chairperson Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, and Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan. 

"Since the proposed amendments are of great interest to media and the Filipino people, we shall announce the changes at the proper time. In the meantime, please bear with us and allow us to perform our assigned tasks as mandated by the House of Representatives," Co said. 

The small committee was formed on Sept. 27, the same day that the House approved the 2024 GAB on third and final reading. The four-member panel will integrate the individual amendments to the budget measure. 

Also that day, House leaders representing the various big political parties came out with a joint statement revealing their "collective decision" to reallocate the CIFs of civilian agencies to agencies that have to do with intelligence and security in a bid to address the "escalating threats in the West Philippine Sea". 

At least 10 agencies will be affected by the House' planned realignment of CIFs in the proposed national budget, Quimbo said last Sept. 29.