Lagman seeks purge of P9.29-B confidential, intel funds in proposed 2023 budget

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Monday called on Congress to purge the proposed P5.26-trillion budget for 2023 of P9.29 billion worth of confidential funds spread across various agencies.

"This total amount is much bigger than the appropriations of many government offices and departments, including the constitutional commissions and offices," Lagman said in a statement.

The opposition lawmaker particularly mentioned the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Departmet of Education (DepEd), which have P500 million and P150 million confidential funds, respectively.

Both OVP and DepEd are under Vice President Sara Duterte.

"The OVP is not a surveillance agency and has no jurisdiction over matters of national security," said Lagman, the newly elected president of Liberal Party.

"The novels of Agatha Christie and the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, who are known detectives, are not staple readings for basic education and the mandate of DepEd does not include detective activities," he added.

A veteran lawmaker, Lagman pointed out that the utilization of confidential and intelligence funds "breed[s] corruption" as audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) of these funds could not be disclosed to Congress and the public.

"[A]nd the more enormous the funds are, the greater the magnitude is for the possibility of graft," he said.

"I reiterate my call to the Congress to exercise judiciousness and frugality in the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds," Lagman added.

GMA News Online has reached out to House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe and House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson and Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo for their comments, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

Sought for comment, OVP spokesperson Atty. Reynold Munsayac assured the public that the funds "will be used efficiently and properly to support the programs of the Office of the Vice President and the utilization will be in compliance with all the provisions of law and relevant issuances."

"In fact, it was clearly established during the budget hearings that the mandate and functions of a Vice President allow the utilization of confidential funds and other former Vice Presidents were also allocated the same," Munsayac added.

For his part, Atty. Michael Poa, DepEd spokesperson, said Duterte will defer to the decision of the majority of Congress regarding the confidential funds. —Llanesca T. Panti and Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA News