Romualdez says he's 'one with VP Duterte' on confidential, intel funds
At A Glance
- As far as House Speaker Martin Romualdez is concerned, he and Vice President Sara Duterte are on the same page when it comes to how confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) should be used.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Speaker’s office, Facebook)
As far as House Speaker Martin Romualdez is concerned, he and Vice President Sara Duterte are on the same page when it comes to how confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) should be used.
"We are one with the Vice President in having to make sure that confidential and intelligence funds are always part of the equation and of course best left with the agencies and departments that are most and best-suited," Romualdez said in a press conference Thursday night, Oct. 5 at Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City.
Before this, the House leader was asked to react to Duterte's statement Wednesday, Oct. 4 wherein she assailed those who have been "undermining funds allocated for peace and order".
"With respect to the confidential funds, we are all for the confidential funds and we are all for peace and security, we are all for that. We are in total agreement that the utilization of confidential and intelligence funds is to promote peace and security," Romualdez said.
"And that's why were in Pag-asa [Island] today, looking at other ways to make sure that peace and security of the country as a whole is protected," he said.
Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district representative, said he would like to ensure that CIFs are "most properly utilized and by agencies and departments that are best-suited particularly in these aspects of deploying the proper resources and personnel for promotion of peace and security".
Pag-asa Island is located in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024 was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives last Sept. 27.
Just before the GAB's passage, the House leadership came out with a statement saying that agencies and departments that have nothing to do with intelligence or security would have their CIFs realigned somewhere else, specifically in the addressing the "escalating threats in the West Philippine Sea"