Faces of the News: Eliseo Rio Jr. and Gringo Honasan

Revelations about the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) confidential funds came to light last week after Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. resigned.

He was being kept out of the loop by other DICT officials and rendered useless, Rio said. He also questioned the need for confidential funds that, he said, were not subject to government audit.

Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gringo Honasan’s role in the issue came under scrutiny when an audit memorandum showed that he had used the DICT’s P300-million fund for his office’s intelligence funds.

It turns out that, in the name of cybersecurity, the funds were used for surveillance.

Of whom?

Opposition figures protested in alarm. By Friday, the issue appeared to come to a close, with Rio and Honasan issuing a joint statement saying they have settled their differences.

Rio said his words on confidential expenses may have been misinterpreted, and that the disbursement was “lawful and legitimate.”