The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will no longer pursue its request for P500 million worth of confidential funds under the proposed 2024 budget which has been deemed submitted for plenary approval on Thursday, November 9.
This was according to Senate Committee on Finance chief Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who read a statement from the OVP during the plenary deliberations of OVP's proposed P1.874 billion budget.
"Nonetheless, they will no longer pursue the CF. The reason why is because it seemed to be divisive, and as the Vice President, she swore an oath to keep the country peaceful and strong," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel commended this move by Vice President Sara Duterte who was present during the plenary deliberations.
"Just as I commended the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and the other agencies which willingly gave up their CIF or CF or did not even ask for these funds, given this latest manifestation by the Vice President, I commend her," he said.
"For categorically stating to this House that it's not a deferral to our wisdom. She does not want it anymore. If that's how I understand the statement, I commend the Vice President," he added.
Sen. Francis Tolentino reminded however that the Senate can or may propose or concur with amendments.
"It's no longer lodged with the OVP but the decision should come from this chamber. Just to manifest that constitutional provision," he added.
It can be recalled that the OVP was stripped of its confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024 of the House of Representatives (HOR). Also stripped were the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The "small committee" tasked to collate individual amendments of House members to the 2024 GAB recommended that a total of P1.23 billion in confidential funds be realigned in the budget measure.
Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros brought up the OVP's spending of P125 million in confidential funds in 11 days during her interpellation.
Regarding how it was spent, Angara said that it was utilized for the safe implementation of the programs, activities, and projects of the OVP to alleviate poverty and promote the general welfare.
Hontiveros also asked if any of these programs were funded by confidential funds.
Angara mentioned that they strictly adhere to the joint budget circular issued by the DBM and the COA which lists the permissible expenses for CIF, for confidential and intelligence funds, namely yung purchase of information, yung rental of safehouses.
He added that these programs were funded by the OVP's regular budget.
"Lalo pong lumalaki yung misteryo kung paano ginastos ang CIF na P125 million sa loob lamang ng 11 araw kung hindi man lahat, pero kung marami sa mga binanggit na pinagkagastusan ay cinover naman ng regular budgets (It adds more mystery to how the P125 million CIF was spent in just 11 days if not all, but many of the programs mentioned was covered by regular budgets)," Hontiveros said.