MANILA, Philippines – Nasa 10 government agencies ang humirit na taasan ang kanilang confidential at intelligence fund (CIF) sa ilalim ng proposed P5.768-trillion budget para sa 2024, sinabi ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) nitong Huwebes, Agosto 10.
Ang pahayag na ito ni Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman ay kasunod ng pagkwestiyon ni Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel.
Ang mga ahensyang humiling ng karagdagang CIF ay ang mga sumusunod:
Department of Information and Communications Technology (P300 million)
Department of National Defense (P60 million)
Presidential Security Group (P60 million)
Department of Agriculture (P50 million)
Bureau of Customs (P30.5 million)
Department of Foreign Affairs (P5 million)
Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters (P60 million)
National Security Council (P30 million)
Office of the Ombudsman (P20.46 million), and
Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (P6 million).
Ang kabuuang halaga ng CIF sa lahat ng mga ahensya sa proposed 2024 budget ay nasa P10.14 bilyon, kabilang ang P4.5 bilyon para sa Office of the President at P500 milyon para sa Office of the Vice President.
Humirit din ang Department of Education, na pinangungunahan ni Vice President Sara Duterte, ng P150 milyon halaga ng confidential fund.
“The confidential fund of the OVP and the DepEd are [the amounts] already existing in their [2023] budget, and the CIF can be used for national security and safety po,” sinabi ni Pangandaman nang tanungin kung paano makatutulong ang CIF sa paglago ng ekonomiya.
Hindi naman kumbinsido si Manuel sa sagot ng DBM, sabay-sabing ang civilian agencies gaya ng OVP at DepEd ay wala namang paggagamitan ng CIF.
“How are these allocations helping our economy grow? Not all agencies have the function of dealing with national security. That is why there is delegation of tasks across the bureaucracy. Why are so many agencies having CIF?” tanong ni Manuel.
Sumagot naman si Pangandaman at sinabing ang intelligence fund ay para sa ahensyang may national security functions, habang ang confidential funds ay dapat na compliant sa panuntunan na inilaan ng budget law.
“Section 85 of the General Appropriations Act allows for disbursement of confidential fund for approval of the department secretary for surveillance to be conducted by civilian agencies in support of the mandate and operations of the agency,” aniya.
Sa kabila nito, nananatiling tutol si Manuel sa alokasyon.
“These are just forms of presidential and vice presidential pork (discretionary fund),” dagdag niya. RNT/JGC
