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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Quimbo bats for special oversight panel on CIFs amid OVP controversy

Quimbo bats for special oversight panel on CIFs amid OVP controversy

Published Sep 25, 2023 07:03 am

At A Glance

  • Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo said that a special oversight committee must be formed in a bid to bost transparency in the use of controversial confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) by government agencies. 

Screenshot_20210722-151507_Chrome.jpgHouse of Representatives (MANILA BULLETIN)

A special oversight committee must be formed in a bid to bost transparency in the use of controversial confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) by government agencies.

Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo made this call Monday, Sept. 25 during her sponsorship speech for the Commission on Audit's (COA) 2024 budget.

Quimbo asked her House of Representatives colleagues to support the establishment of the special oversight panel that will ensure the proper use of public funds under CIFs.

“[N]aniniwala ako na ang kaban ng bayan ay dapat ginagastos para sa kaunlaran ng bayan (I believe that public funds should be spent for the benefit of the country).This can only be achieved with a stronger push towards transparent governance,” she told the plenary.

“In this spirit . . . may I remind our colleagues that during the debate on the general principles [on the 2024 national budget], I specifically mentioned the opportunity for Congress to increase transparency in the use of confidential and intelligence funds with a proposal to create a special oversight committee,” she said.

The special oversight committee--as per Quimbo's proposal--will be composed of the House Speaker, three majority members, and one minority member. Its primary task will be to see to it that CIFs are used properly and judiciously.

“To elaborate, the special committee shall have the privilege of complete access to the reports submitted to COA-DBM (Department of Budget and Management) Joint Circular (JC) 2015-01,” she explained.

The JC--issued by COA together with DBM, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations--enumerates the government agencies, ntelligence practitioners and experts that are authorized and eligible to receive CIFs.

The militant Makabayan bloc solons in the House have repeatedly brought up and questioned the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) use of P125 million worth of confidential funds late last year in the ongoing discussion on the GAB.

Quimbo revealed during the plenary debate on COA's budget that the OVP spent the P125 million in just 11 days, and not 19 days as previously thought.

The House of Representatives is at the tail end of its deliberation on the 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget worth P5.768 trillion.

The budget measure is expected to be approved on third and final reading Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Related Tags

intelligence funds Commission on Audit (COA) Confidential funds Sara Duterte stella quimbo
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