Junk intel, cut secret funds of OP – Pimentel

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — There’s a need to eliminate the intelligence fund and possibly reduce the confidential budget of the Office of the President (OP), Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Tuesday evening.

“We also have to reduce the confidential funds of the OP and also eliminate the intel funds of the OP as it is a civilian agency which is not and should not be engaged in intelligence,” he said.

“If the OP is truly busy then its manpower [or] personnel shouldn’t have time anymore for surveillance work and intel gathering. Leave that to the specialists in the field of intelligence. Unless these people in the OP have too much time on their hands.”

READ: Senate to redirect intel, confidential and ‘unnecessary funds’ to PCG, AFP — Zubiri

Pimentel made the statement after Senate Secretary Renato Bantug denied circulating reports that the upper chamber had a confidential fund of P331 million in 2023.

Bantag said he was certain that the Senate would also have zero secret funding in 2024 as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was “firm in his belief” that the Senate would not need any confidential allocation.

The OP proposed budget for 2024 amounts to P10.707 billion, which includes P4.56 billion in confidential and intelligence funds.