Tinio calls for review of intel, confidential and oversight budget of President's office

ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio on Wednesday urged his fellow lawmakers to question the breakdown of the intelligence and oversight budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2019.

Tinio made the remark after the House Committee on Appropriations approved, without further questioning and in only less than 10 minutes, the proposed P6.77-billion budget of the President's office for next year.

"Kailangang kwestiyunin na yung napakalaking confidential and intelligence funds ni Pangulong Duterte," Tinio told reporters in an interview.

The OP's total proposed budget enjoys an 12.32-percent increase from its appropriation this year of P6 billion.

When classified by program expenditure, 59 percent or P4 billion of the total proposed budget is allocated to the Presidential Oversight Program.

Several subprograms are found under the Presidential Oversight Program, as found in the National Expenditure Program for 2019.

But the subprogram that received the biggest share of the budget is the "Oversight management on national security concerns," with an allocation of P3,036,201,000.

Other subprograms include the "Public assistance and information services" and the "Oversight of general government internal control systems," whose allocations increased by 80 percent and 97 percent, respectively, as compared to their 2018 amounts.

As for maintenance and other operating expenses, a sum of P1,250,000 is each allocated to "confidential" and "intelligence" expenses, while P13,831 will go to "extraordinary and miscellaneous" expenses.

'Lump sum' funds

During the budget briefing, Undersecretary Rizalina Justol, Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration, did not discuss in detail the breakdown of the program expenditures of the OP, including the funds for the oversight programs and intelligence and confidential expenses.

But Tinio insisted that the OP owesthe public an explanation, saying that these funds were supposedly meant for the administration's "failed" war against drugs.

"Sa pag-upo niya [Duterte], jinustify niya 'yun para sa giyere kontra droga. Pero nakita naman natin na sa kabila ng napakalaking intelligence funds na ito, nakapuslit ang shabu hindi lang minsan kundi alam natin dalawang beses na. Anong klaseng intelligence 'yan?" he said.

The opposition lawmaker called on his colleagues to move to reduce these "lump sum" funds.

"Ibalik sa dating mga level dahil alam naman natin na yung intelligence funds ay walang transparency diyan. Hindi talaga maaaring busisiin kung saan ginagamit ang mga ito, kasi by nature, confidential nga," Tinio said.

"Ano ba talaga ang purpose nito? Again, lump sum ito ng Presidente at kailangan may masusing paliwanag kung saan ginagamit ito," he added.

Earlier in the day, the House appropriation panel also approved the proposed P477-million budget of the Office of the Vice President for next year.

But unlike the OP that received an increase of 12.32 percent, the OVP suffered a budget cut of about P100 million. — BM, GMA News