INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Tuesday denied circulating claims that it has a P331 million confidential fund this year.
“These social media posts are deliberately misleading and maliciously presented by some personalities who seek to malign and tarnish the reputation of an institution currently taking a long, hard look at the nature of confidential and intelligence funds and the government agencies that deserve to have them,” said Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr.
“The Senate, for 2023, has no allocation for confidential funds,” he added.
Bantug pointed out that based on records, the Senate’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses in 2023 has three line items — confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses.
Bantug said the extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses has a line item amounting to P331.9 million, but the confidential and intel item has none.
“In the past Senate leadership, the confidential fund allocations of the Senate amounted to P100 million in 2020, P100 million in 2021, and P50 million in 2022. But all of these funds were never used and were reverted to the National Treasury in full,” said Bantug.
The official likewise bared that Zubiri is “firm in his belief” that the Senate “does not need confidential funds.”