The University of the Philippines Diliman University Council (UPD UC) on Monday, Nov. 6, condemned the government for allocation of funds to the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) in the national budget for 2024.
UPD UC said the House of Representatives' rejection of the proposed P650 million fund for the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), among others, is the result of the "extensive" dissents from the public.
"Kahit na masasabing may tagumpay sa desisyong ito, kailangan pa itong pagtibayin ng Senado sa kanila deliberasyon ngayong Nobyembre (Although there may be success in this decision, it still needs to be reinforced by the Senate during their deliberations in November)," the council said.
The UPD UC also said accountability in the use of public funds is essential and that it should be allocated to education and health.
"Dahil tago sa publiko ang paggamit ng CIF, kinokompromiso nito ang pamamahalang demokratiko (Because the use of CIF is unknown to public, it undermines democratic governance)," it said.
UPD UC also noted that it denounced the budget reduction for the university amounting to P3 billion from which more than P850 million will be deducted from the budget of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
The deduction from the budget of the university will also affect funds for the facilities, compensation of employees under job orders, and contracts of service and benefits of regular employees.
The council said the CIF will "not be helpful" to ease the problems of the country as the agencies that receive it are believed to have been involved in the acts of "oppressing" the people.
"Ang CIF ay nagagamit para i-redtag, takutin, at tiktikan ang mga mamamayang tumutuligsa sa katiwalian tulad ng mga aktibista, unyonista, mamamahayag, abogado, tagapagtanggol ng kalikasan at iba pa (The CIF is utilized to redtag, threaten, and monitor the citizens who criticize the wrongdoings like the activists, unionists, journalists, lawyers, environmental defenders among others)," said the council. (Lizst Torres Abello)