CONFLICT AT SEA Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for West Philippine Sea speaks during a press briefing of National Task Force on West Philippine Sea at Department of Foreign Affairs. (File photo from RICHARD A. REYES)
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received only P10 million worth of intelligence fund every year for the past decade, its spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela disclosed on Tuesday.
Tarriela said PCG got P10 million in intelligence fund every year from 2013 until 2023.
Its appropriation was much lower in 2021, amounting to only P6.4 million.
Allocations for intelligence funds for five years prior to this period were far smaller at P400,000.
This was PCG’s budget for 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
For 2007, the intelligence fund still went down to P325,000.
Tarriela said PCG received a total of only P118.7 in intelligence funds for the past 17 years.
He revealed these figures in a Twitter post.
He introduced the topic saying, “I would like to update and provide accurate information regarding the [PCG’s] intelligence fund since 2006.”
“As a public official, I would like to be transparent and ensure that we do not understate our confidential and intelligence funds,” he explained.
Lawmakers are pushing for the increase in the intelligence funds for this uniformed service.
They include Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros.
The senators observe the current budget of PCG is meager for an agency that faces so much danger in protecting Philippines’ sovereign right over West Philippine Sea.
ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro suggested the P500 million intelligence and confidential funds proposed for the Office of the Vice President for next year should be given to PCG instead.
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