The combined P650-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd)--both under Vice President Sara Duterte--will be among those to be realigned to intelligence and security agencies tasked to address "escalating threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)".

This was confirmed in a statement Wednesday night, Sept. 27 by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. 

“The country’s safety and security are of paramount importance. To protect our territorial integrity from external threats, Congress is giving top priority to agencies directly in charge protecting the country’s safety and securing its borders,” Co said. 

Under the proposed P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2024, P500 million worth of confidential funds were allocated to the OVP. 

Meanwhile, P150 million worth confidential funds were earmarked for DepEd under the same spending plan. Duterte is the concurrent education secretary. 

The OVP and DepEd don't have any intelligence funds next year. 

Earlier Wednesday, ranking solons representing the various political parties in the House released a joint statement wherein they announced their "collective decision to reallocate confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) that were originally earmarked for department and agencies not directly related to protecting the country’s safety and security". 

The fund recipients will be intelligence and surveillance agencies like the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), National Security Council (NSC), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).  

“As discussed, we will realign the confidential funds of various civilian agencies. Now is the time to give our intelligence community the means to perform their duties, especially in these pressing times when we’re facing serious concerns in the West Philippine Sea,” Co said. 

“The CIFs from other departments and agencies will be realigned to the NSA, NICA, PCG and BFAR to boost the country’s monitoring and operational capabilities in protecting our territorial waters and securing the rights and access of Filipino fishermen to their traditional fishing grounds,” he explained. 

Co did not name the other civilian agencies whose CIFs would be realigned. 

The unanimous decision of House party leaders came after the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) installed a floating barrier in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough shoal off the coast of Zambales. This has essentially blocked Filipino fishermen from going to their traditional fishing grounds.