Marcos allies say OP's P4.5B proposed confi, intel fund for 2027 justified

House good government and public accountability panel vice chairperson Benny Abante on Monday defended President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.’s proposed P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) for 2027.

“I think we have to remember that the President is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Therefore, he has all the right to have a confidential fund,” Abante said during an online press conference.

“Having said that, the President really needs CIF,” he added.

The Office of the President’s P4.5 billion proposed CIF for 2027 is the same level as this year.

Of the P4.5 billion, P2.25 billion accounts for confidential funds while another P2.25 billion is for intelligence funds.

The 2015 Joint Circular governing the use of CIF defines confidential expenses as those expenses pertaining/related to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.

The same 2015 guidelines, on the other hand, define intelligence expenses as those related to intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel, and intelligence practitioners that have a direct impact on national security.

Overall, the Marcos administration proposed a P10.77 billion worth of CIF for 2027, down from this year’s P11.8 billion allocation.

Of the proposed amount, P4.368 billion is for confidential funds and P6.405 billion for intelligence funds.

Abante, however, noted that such CIF must be properly accounted for.

Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V agreed.

“Importante kung merong nailaan o naibigay na pondo, dapat tama po ’yung paggamit, tama ’yung pinuntahan, at tama po ’yung proseso na sinusunod,” Ortega said.

(The fund should be used appropriately, meaning accountability process must be followed to the letter.)

Senate finance panel chairperson JV Ejercito earlier said that the CIF should be limited to agencies whose mandates involve law enforcement, intelligence and national security, and that the OP falls squarely within that justification.

Ejercito even said that the President, by the virtue of his position, will be subjected to threats.

One of the allegations of the House prosecution team in its impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is alleged betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for apparently threatening to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez via a hitman if she herself was killed.

Abante, however, stressed that presidential confidential funds must still be properly used and accounted for.

“Kinakailangan po nating malaman lamang paano gagamitin ’yan, saan gagamitin ’yan,” he said.

(We need to know where these funds will be used for.)

Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V agreed, saying the key is ensuring that confidential funds are properly spent and established processes are followed.

“Importante kung merong nailaan o naibigay na pondo, dapat tama po ’yung paggamit, tama ’yung pinuntahan, at tama po ’yung proseso na sinusunod,” Ortega said.

(If there is an allocation for such, it is very important to ensure that it is disbursed appropriately and in accordance with accountability processes.)

Abolish CIF

But for opposition lawmaker Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio of and Gabriela party-list Sarah Elago, the confidential fund spending of Vice President Sara Duterte which was marred with unusual recipient names should already prompt the abolition of the CIF allocation.

"That is why we have always called for the CIF abolition. The budget should not have confidential allocations. It should be transparent, and there are other ways to ensure that security concerns are addressed," Tinio said.

"Nobody should be exempted from accountability, especially the Office of the President. We should abolish CIF and realign the fund for basic services such as health, education, housing agriculture, among others," Elago added. —AOL, GMA News