Interior and Local Government Sec. Benjamin Abalos Jr. | File photo / Albert Calvelo of Senate PRIB
TACLOBAN CITY — Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos stressed it is up to Congress to decide whether or not to allow local executives to receive the controversial confidential and intelligence fund (CIF).
Abalos, who was in Tacloban on Monday, Oct. 2, to attend the Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, said Congress may or may not refine the law governing the CIF.
He, however, stressed that CIF is essential for the local governments to fight criminalities and even the continuing war on drugs.
READ: Zubiri wants LGUs’ use of secret funds clipped
“I have no problem with that because that is a law. It was passed by Congress and Senate. If there are issues, it’s up to them if they want to refine it or not,” he said in a brief interview with reporters.
Abalos said that he does not see anything wrong with the local executives having their own CIF as long as they would be strictly guided by the law governing it.
“We are guided by the law. As long as it is not abused, as long as it is within the intention of the law, which is really to aid the chief executives in fighting criminalities, extreme violence, and even drugs, (then I’m fine with that),” he said.
Abalos admitted that the Department of Interior and Local Government has its own CIF amounting to more or less P100 million for 2023.
He, however, defended the department’s CIF, citing their fight against illegal drugs, their campaign against e-sabong, and their bid to arrest former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. who was tagged in the murder of former governor Roel Degamo and nine others last March 4.