Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (File photo from Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senators praised the Office of the President (OP) for its comprehensive and detailed report on confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said OP submitted “two books detailing each and every item of its CIF.”
The Senate leader made his observation on the second day of Senate plenary deliberations for the 2024 national budget.
“I just want to put on record that the CIF report of the OP is one of the most detailed and comprehensive reports that I have seen,” he told his fellow senators.
“It is the most detailed among all the other agencies,” he said.
The lawmaker explained the disbursements presented by OP had “complete accounts” of where the previous funds were spent and under which operations.
Senator Sonny Angara, chairperson of Senate committee on finance and sponsor of OP’s 2024 budget, backed Zubiri’s statement.
He said there was, indeed, “great specificity” in the report.
Senator Sonny Angara, chairperson of Senate Committee on Finance, answers questions as Senate begins plenary debates on the proposed P5.7 trillion national budget for 2024 on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. (Photo from Voltaire F. Domingo / Senate PRIB)
OP’s proposed P10.7 billion budget hurdled the Senate plenary on Thursday.
Tucked in this allocation is P2.2 billion confidential funds and P2.3 billion intelligence funds.
Prior to approval of the budget, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III questioned the necessity of OP’s intelligence funds.
His interpellations lasted about 40 minutes.
Pimentel pointed out intelligence expenses are only limited to “intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel and intelligence practitioners that have direct impact to national security.”
But in terms of confidential allocation, the minority leader said he “has no problem” in the concept of granting it to OP despite it being a civilian agency.
“It’s the reasonableness na lang ang ating titingnan,” he added.
(It’s the reasonableness that we will look at.)