House seeking budget for Pag-asa Island: P4.8-B secret funds not enough

Batasang Pambansa plenary. —MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives leadership has been looking beyond confidential funds in a bid to boost allocation for Pag-asa Island and the West Philippine Sea (WPS), as the P4.8 billion confidential funds in the proposed 2024 national budget might not be enough.

In a press briefing Thursday night, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, committee on appropriations chair and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, and senior vice chair and Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo said other line items in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) may also be touched.

Romualdez and Co, along with key House officials, went to Pag-asa Island earlier, promising to residents and soldiers in the area that they would support efforts to develop the area.

“You know there’s was much celebrated (talk) on the CIF (confidential and intelligence funds), but that’s just a small part of what we’re looking at, we’re looking at actually doing much more for Pag-asa island, the airstrip and the naval port, I think we’re looking at the totality of the island group in the area,” Romualdez said.

“As you know, we are chopping down the CIF, more of the confidential funds but the totality of that is about P4.8 billion, and of course that is not too big of a fund, so of course we realign that and if the Pag-asa Island needs more help, then we would need to find additional sources,” Quimbo added.

For the 2024 GAB, P4.86 billion of the P5.768 trillion budget are considered confidential funds (CF), or secret funds given to civilian agencies that may need allocation for surveillance, monitoring, and other similar purposes.

P5.27 billion meanwhile is allocated to intelligence funds, which are funding for law enforcement agencies and other offices which are mandated to do intelligence work, like the military, intelligence agencies, and investigating bodies.

Combined, the confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed 2024 budget amounts to P10.14 billion, of which P4.56 billion is under the Office of the President.

Talks of realigning the CF to defense-oriented agencies especially those involved in securing the WPS came about during the House and Senate’s budget deliberations, after minority solons scrutinized the funds in civilian offices.

Much attention was given to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education — two offices with a CF of P500 million and P150 million, respectively.

Both the OVP and DepEd are under Vice President Sara Duterte.

Then just before the GAB was passed by the House on second and third reading last September 27, party leaders vowed to boost the funding of agencies involved in the WPS, like the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Co then said that they are initially looking at the CF with OVP and DepEd as a source of funding for Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other agencies.

READ: House eyes cuts in OVP, DepEd confidential funds to boost PCG’s budget 

According to Romualdez, much focus has been placed on the CIF but they are also looking to realign items to agencies that can help in improving the state of the Pag-asa Island.

“So we’re not just gonna look at the DND’s (Department of National Defense) budget, we will look at DOTr (Department of Transportation), the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), the DOT (Department of Tourism), it’s a whole of government approach to look at this islands,” Romualdez said.

“Napaka-importante talaga itong bahagi ng ating bansa (This part of our country is very important because it is) in a very strategic area, we are wanting to invest more the resources because of the strategic importance and value it brings to all of us,” he added.

Earlier, after visiting Kalayaan Island, Romualdez said he would support a development plan for Pag-asa island, which sits in the municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan.

Aside from Romualdez and Co, Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, and Minority Leader and 4Ps  Rep. Marcelino Libanan were also present at the quick visit.

According to Romualdez, it was clear that critical infrastructure like storm shelters and solar power plants would help fisherfolk.  Meanwhile, defense institutions would also need support especially since it is a key outpost in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

JPV