FILE PHOTO: Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
—Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III would ask for the removal of the confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of the Office of the President (OP) and Office of the Vice President (OVP) “at the proper time.”
During Monday’s Senate plenary session on the 2023 national budget, Pimentel questioned the P500 million confidential fund under the P2.3-billion budget of the office of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Just as I manifested that I will move for the reduction – hindi lang (not only) deduction in the Office of the President – deletion of the intelligence fund in the Office of the President. At the proper time, I will move for the deletion of the confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President,” he said.
Pimentel also asked if the OVP’s confidential fund could be reallocated to finance the operations of other agencies, such as the Philippine Postal Corp (Philpost).
Senator Sonny Angara, the 2023 national budget sponsor since he is the chair of the Senate finance committee, defended the OVP’s budget and noted that it deserves the Senate’s support.
Angara suggested that they look elsewhere for the resources that other agencies required.
“Although Philpost may have a need, I think maybe we should look for other sources and not prejudice the Office of the Vice President as the second highest official of the land who deserves our support,” he explained.
But Pimentel emphasized that “Per Congress’ own definition of confidential funds, the Office of the Vice President is not entitled or should not be given confidential funds.”
In last week’s deliberations, Pimentel also questioned the intelligence fund of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office.
Of the OP’s P8.9-billion budget for next year, P2.25 billion is allocated as a confidential fund and another P2.25 billion is earmarked as an intelligence fund.
Angara expectedly had defended Marcos’ intelligence fund, saying the President needs it to access reliable information to maintain order.
