Lacson decides to retain Duterte's P4.5B intel fund

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said he did not push for the reduction of the confidential and intelligence funds under the Office of the President in 2021 after learning that these are also being distributed to other agencies.

"I also planned to have it reduced kasi P4.5 billion only for the President but when I asked around, mga pulis, military, even the intelligence community, dini-distribute pala ni President Duterte sa kanila to augment their own intelligence fund," Lacson said in an interview on ANC.

A former Philippine National Police chief, the senator said he got this information from his independent and informal talks with members of the security sector.

"After hearing that information, 'di ko na itinuloy ang plano ko to support the reduction of the presidential confidential and intelligence fund, as long as it is put to good use," he added.

In September, Lacson said he would scrutinize how the intelligence fund of the President is being used.

The P4.5 billion intelligence and confidential funds make up 55% of the total allocation for the President's office for next year, which is at P8.19 billion.

For this year, P4.5 billion has also been earmarked for the same items.

Data from the Department of Budget and Management showed that it was only during the Duterte administration that the allocation for the intelligence and confidential funds under the Office of the President hit the billion-peso mark.

In 2016, when former President Benigno Aquino III left Malacañang, the intelligence and confidential funds under his office were only pegged at P250 million each.—AOL, GMA News