55% OP funds discretionary, lawmaker warns

The proposed P4.5-billion confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) of the Office of the President (OP) might be used as an election war chest for 2022, an opposition lawmaker warned on Thursday.

At the House plenary deliberations on the proposed P8.182-billion budget on OP for next year, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said President Duterte’s office wanted a P2.25-billion budget for its confidential funds and another P2.25-billion for its intelligence funds.

The P4.5-billion CIF, which the Commission on Audit (COA) has admitted to being impossible to properly audit, is 55 percent of the OP’s total proposed allotment for 2022.

Castro pointed out that the OP is a “purely civilian office with no military or uniformed personnel,” saying that although Mr. Duterte is the Commander in Chief, he remains to be a civilian.

But Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos Jr., who sponsored the budget of the OP, said that Duterte, as Commander in Chief, has control over the defense secretary, interior secretary and the national security adviser.

Power + people’s money

“With this power, duties and functions, he should be given the flexibility for having control likewise over the confidential and intelligence funds,” Jalosjos said.

“Knowing his wisdom and impartiality, he can allocate a portion of his CIF to agencies, as the need arises,” he added.

Since 2020, the OP has received P4.5 billion for its CIF while it got P2.5-billion CIF in 2017 to 2019.

During the last year of President Benigno Aquino III, his office only had P500-million CIF—P250 million for confidential funds and P250 million for intelligence funds.

The COA said confidential funds are used for “surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.”

Intelligence funds, on the other hand, are used for “intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel, and intelligence practitioners that have direct impact to national security.”

Castro questioned the huge CIF under Duterte’s office, saying that the President only has the discretion over the use of CIF.

“Where were these funds used? War chest? Precampaign and campaign funds? To make the administration and their allies look good? During this time of pandemic and crisis, this is not the [OP] that the public is expecting,” she said.

Earlier, House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate filed a House resolution, which seeks to require the audit of government confidential and intelligence funds.