Confidential, intel funds in proposed 2024 budget reach P9.2B
Confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024 amount to P9.2 billion, with the lion's share sought by the Office of the President (OP). This was bared by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman Wednesday, Aug. 2 following the her submission of the NEP to the House of Representatives in Batasan Complex, Quezon City. Pangandaman said that the total allocation for confidential and intelligence funds across all agencies under the latest spending plan is P4.3 billion and P4.9 billion, respectively. “I think the amount is the same as the 2023 level, almost the same,” Pangandaman said in a press briefing after the ceremonial turnover of the NEP--the precursor of the national budget. Asked for a breakdown of the amounts, Pangandaman said the OP sought P4.5 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds. She said the Office of the Vice President under Vice President Sara Duterte was allotted P500 million, while the Department of Education (DepEd)--also under Duterte, the concurrent education secretary--was allocated P150 million. The Department of National Defense (DND) will get P1.7 billion in confidential and intelligence funds based on the 2024 NEP, Pangandaman added. At any rate, the DBM chief assured the public that there's "full transparency" when it comes to the actual use of such funds. "Mayroon naman pong guidelines yan from COA (Commission on Audit) on how to use the funds. Hindi naman ho siya budget na parang, pagkabigay, they can actually disburse it and use it. Mayroon din pong dokumento na sina-submit sa COA (There are guidelines from COA on how to use the funds. It's not like a budget that they can actually disburse and use upon receiving it. There's a document that is submitted to COA). "There's full transparency po in terms of the request for these funds," she said.