After Senate's realignment of confi funds, DepEd says it would defer to Congress on budget

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said it would defer to Congress after the Senate realigned most of its proposed confidential funds to the outlay for maintenance and other operating expenses.

DepEd spokesman Michael Poa so remarked after the Senate on Wednesday adopted amendments that realigned P100 million of the department's proposed confidential funds to MOOE.

Another P20 million of the proposed confidential funds was realigned to the DepEd's Healthy Learners Institution Program.

This left the department with P30 million in proposed confidential funds for 2023.

"As the Vice President and Secretary of Education has previously stated, we shall defer to the decision of the majority of Congress," Poa told reporters when asked about the development.

Vice President Sara Duterte, the secretary of education, said as much, "We already stated our peace about the confidential funds during the hearings doon sa House of Representatives and sa Senate."

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III earlier warned that allocating confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) to non-security-related government agencies might become a yearly practice if Congress approves their inclusion in the 2023 national budget.

For its part, DepEd said confidential expenses were allowed under the law for all civilian offices, including their agency. —NB, GMA Integrated News