House committee on appropriations chairperson and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizady Co delivers his sponsorship speech during the opening of plenary discussions for House Bill No. 8980, or the 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), at Batasang Pambansa in this photo taken on September 19, 2023. Photo courtesy of the office of Rep. Co.
MANILA, Philippines — Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co still believes that discussions between the House of Representatives and the Senate regarding the P5.768-trillion proposed 2024 national budget — particularly over the confidential fund (CF) allocations — would turn out smoothly.
Co in a statement said that since there is a consensus within the Senate about the removal of CF within civilian agencies, harmonizing differences between the House and the Senate’s version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will be easier.
“This jibes with or is a vindication of the decision of the House of Representatives to realign those appropriations. With such consensus, we foresee a smooth bicameral conference on the 2024 budget,” he said on Wednesday.
The House-approved GAB removed P1.23 billion worth of confidential funds from different offices, allocating these instead to agencies involved in the protection of the West Philippine Sea.
The CF allocations of the following agencies for 2024 were completely removed:
- Office of the Vice President (OVP): P500 million
- Department of Information and Communications Technology: P300 million
- Department of Education (DepEd): P150 million
- Department of Agriculture: P50 million
- Department of Foreign Affairs: P50 million
READ: House gives zero confidential funds to OVP, DepEd, DICT, DFA, DA
Meanwhile, the CF placed on these offices were reduced:
- Department of Justice (DOJ-Office of the Secretary): P88.6 million
- Office of the Ombudsman: P50.4 million
- Bureau of Customs: P30.5 million
- Office of the Solicitor General: P9.2 million
- Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity: P6 million
- Anti-Money Laundering Council: P2.5 million
READ: How House removed, reduced the confidential funds of gov’t agencies
Last Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Francis Escudero confirmed that Senators unanimously agreed to remove the CF of all civilian agencies.
The confirmation came after there were rumors being spread that some senators want to restore the CF requests of OVP and DepEd worth P500 million and P150 million, respectively.
Both OVP and DepEd are headed by Vice President Sara Duterte.
READ: Senators agree to remove secret funds of gov’t agencies with civilian function
It also appears that the Senate will follow the House’ lead in realigning CF removed from offices, back to the offices but as items under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) so that these would be subject to auditing.
Once the Senate approves on third reading their version of the proposed budget, both chambers would send representatives who would convene a bicameral conference committee on the disagreeing provisions of the GAB.
Differences are resolved in the bicameral conference committee, while the final output would be ratified by both the House and the Senate. Only then can it be forwarded to the president for his signature.
Validating efforts
Co also said that recent surveys which showed support for the House’ move to realign the CFs validate lawmakers’ efforts to pump funding into agencies securing the national security and protecting the country’s interests in the WPS.
“The House Committee on Appropriations welcomes OCTA Research Group’s survey showing that the majority (57%) of our fellow countrymen agree with the decision of the House of Representatives – under the able and strong leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez – to reallocate confidential funds of several civilian government agencies to bolster national security agencies,” Co said.
“Ito po ay isang malinaw na pruweba na tama ang naging hakbang ng Kongreso sa usapin ng confidential funds,” he added.
(This is a clear proof that the steps taken by Congress regarding confidential funds are correct.)
Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren agrees with Co’s views, saying that the senators’ move is consistent with public opinion as stated in the Octa Research survey.
“The Octa survey results are an affirmation that we did the right thing,” he added.