Robredo questions Duterte's huge intelligence fund request for 2020

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday took a dig at the Office of the President's request for a "substantial" increase in the confidential and intelligence funds for next year.

In her radio program, VP Robredo said the P2.5 billion being requested is a far cry from the P500 million in 2016 that was intended for the same purpose.

The proposed budget leap –P500M to P2.5B –is a huge increase that the Vice President finds troubling, even amid the security threats, including terrorism, insurgency, and peace and order the country is facing.

She said she made a study of the budgetary increment from 2012 to 2016 and found the proposed 2020 allocation too much. 

"Noong nabasa ko iyon (President's request), tiningnan ko iyong progression. Tiningnan ko iyong progression, parang mula 2012 yata, 2012 hanggang 2016, P500 million iyong intelligence fund—intelligence and confidential fund. Eh ngayon, P2.5 billion?" Robredo said.

"Tatlong taon pa lang iyong lumilipas, grabe iyong pag-increase. So siguro, para walang… walang, ano ito, walang pagdududa, baka mas mabuting naiintindihan natin," Roberdo said.

She said the public should be made to understand the increase, and agreed with an earlier move by Senator Panfilo Lacson to clarify where the money for confidential and intelligence funds would go.

"Alam ko si Senator Lacson mayroon nang parang panawagan na i-klaro kung saan napupunta iyon. Iyong budget yata ng Office of the President, parang noong pag-alis noong dating administrasyon, 

Likewise, the Vice President pointed out that the fund is discretionary, "walang rese-resibo."

President Duterte is seeking a hefty increase in the confidential and intelligence funds of Malacañang for next year.

Based on the proposed P4.1-trillion National Expenditure Plan for 2020 that was submitted by the government to Congress last week, the Office of the President wants P2.25 billion each for confidential and intelligence funds, up P1 billion from the P1.25 billion each for those expenses in 2018 and 2019.

Overall, the OP is asking for an P8.25-billion budget for 2020 compared with P6.82 billion for this year.

Explaining Malacañang’s proposal for bigger confidential and intelligence funds, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday the government “has to have resources to determine the threats against the state.”

“Kailangan iyon, and you need money for that,” he told reporters. “Mahirap mag-secure sa isang bansa, kailangan mo talaga ng pera. You need people, you machines, technology. Maraming paggagastusan eh,” he said. —LBG, GMA News