Edcel Lagman —PHOTO FROM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FB PAGE
The extraconstitutional “small committee” finalizing amendments to the P5.768-trillion spending law for 2024 should remove and not just reduce, confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) from government agencies that are not entitled to it.
Independent opposition solon and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman made the call as House appropriations panel chair Rep. Elizaldy Co said they will finish the deliberations by Oct. 10.
In a statement, Lagman said government agencies not entitled to confidential and intelligence expenses “because of the nature of their functions and the extent of their mandate must be deprived of secret funds in their entirety.”
“A mere reduction must not suffice. There is no rhyme nor reason for an agency not entitled to confidential and intelligence funds to retain any appropriation at all as an ‘accommodation’ or ‘courtesy’ allocation,” he said on Wednesday.
Confidential funds are for a government agency’s surveillance-related activities, while intelligence funds are for gathering information related to national security.
The P5.768-trillion national budget proposed for next year included P 10.14 billion in these funds, of which P4.86 billion is in confidential funds and P5.277 billion in intelligence funds.
‘Nonentitlement’
Almost half of the P10.14 billion, or P4.56 billion, is under the Office of the President.
Lagman stressed that the “nonentitlement to confidential and intelligence funds is absolute and deprivation of appropriation must be total.”
He made the remarks as Co said the four-member panel will finish finalizing amendments to House Bill No. 8980 or the 2024 General Appropriations Bill by Tuesday next week.
In a statement on Wednesday, Co of Ako Bicol party list said the small committee held its first organizational meeting the day before.
The so-called small committee—composed of Co, House appropriations panel senior vice chair Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, House Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe and Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan—was tasked to receive and resolve individual amendments to the 2024 national budget.
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