DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The Marcos administration is asking for P2 billion less confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) under the P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) or proposed national budget for 2025 compared to the current 2024 budget. 

This was bared by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in a press conference at the House of Representatives Monday, July 29 following the official submission to the chamber of the 2025 spending plan. 

"So [CIF] sa 2024 GAA po, ang total is P12.378 billion, sa 2024 General Appropriations Act. Sa fiscal year 2025 [NEP], ‘yong sinubmit po natin today, is P10.286 billion," Pangandaman said. 

(The total CIFs under the 2024 GAA is P12.378 billion. In the fiscal year 2025 NEP, which we submitted today, is P10.286 billion.) 

"Ito po ay bumaba ng 16 percent from this year’s [GAA] (It's a reduction of 16 percent from this year's GAA)," she noted, The GAA refers to the enacted budget, which for this year is worth P5.768 trillion. 

The P10.286 billion is composed of confidential expenses worth P4.37 billion and intelligence expenses worth P5.92 billion. 

CIFs were a major talking point--if not sticking point--during the House budget deliberations last year. 

This was mainly because of the P125-million confidential funds spending spree that was linked to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Vice Duterte Sara Duterte. 

Pangandaman said that total CIFs requested by the executive branch for next year was P11.39 billion (P5.22 billion confidential funds, P6.17 billion intelligence funds) but the DBM only approved P10.286 billion. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/11/house-rationalization-of-ci-fs-affected-11-agencies-says-quimbo

The latter amount is now subject to the House's own approval in the upcoming budget hearings of the Committee on Appropriations. 

Because of the CIF controversy last year, the appropriations panel chaired by Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co imposed a tule that civilian agencies like the OVP can no longer hold such funds. 

During the deliberations on the 2024 NEP, a total of P1.23 billion in CIFs were realigned from different government agencies to the efforts to protect and secure the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

Of this amount, P1.05 billion came from the OVP.