Pimentel on proposed P10.142B confi, intel funds: 'A huge mistake'

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel on Saturday raised "serious concerns" over the proposed P10.142 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024. 

“This budgetary decision is a huge mistake," said Pimentel. 

“It shows the lack of empathy and understanding of the real needs of ordinary Filipinos,” added Pimentel.

The Senator also said, that "while our fellow Filipinos in calamity-stricken areas suffer raises serious questions about the government’s understanding of the real needs and challenges faced by our country."

According to the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) uploaded on the DBM website, the administration has allocated P5.277 billion to intelligence expenses, and P4.864 billion to confidential expenses.

The total of P10.142 billion is higher by P120 million from the P10.02 billion set aside for the CIF in 2023.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the P120 million increase in the CIF was due to the additional allocation for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Presidential Security Group, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

The past NEP defined intelligence funds as those “related to intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel and intelligence practitioners” having direct impact to national security.

Meanwhile, confidential funds are those “related to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.”

Broken down, the biggest share of the proposed CIF will go to the Office of the President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with P4.51 billion. The Department of Agriculture (DA)—likewise headed by Marcos—is also set to get P50 million.

Pimenter, however, said that more attention should be given to those affected by recent typhoons. 

“The funds should be used to aid in their recovery and rebuilding... The struggles our countrymen endure day in and day out must be addressed through meaningful budgetary allocations that directly benefit the lives of our people," he added.

JV Ejercito also concerned

On Friday, Senator JV Ejercito also expressed concern over the proposed CIF for next year. He noted how CIF requests are becoming a trend among government agencies.

“Sa ibang agencies, tatanungin muna natin kung saan nila gagamitin. Why do they need intelligence funds? Bakit parang nauso na, bakit lahat biglang humihingi na ng intelligence funds?  We will ask them during the budget season for what purpose,” said Ejercito.

While Ejercito took special notice of the CIF requests of other government agencies, but the senator said some of them are justifiable, particularly the confidential funds for the DICT.

The DBM, meanwhile, noted that the confidential and intelligence fund is also at a "decreasing trend," citing its percentage of share in the national budget in the previous years:

0.215%  - 2018
0.192%  - 2019
0.235%  - 2020
0.212% - 2021
0.183% - 2022
0.190% - 2023
0.176% - 2024

Some House lawmakers also called out the intel fund allocations. 

"Civilian offices and agencies with no business in intelligence gathering or law enforcement are given so much presidential pork in the form of CIF. For example, the Office of the Vice-President again is proposing P500 million confidential funds and the Department of Education is asking for another P150 million confidential funds, all under the control and discretion of the Vice President,” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list said in a statement.

Castro said the funds would have been better allocated to social services.

“Lubog na nga ang bansa sa utang at napakaraming mga social services na dapat pondohan pero mas inuuna pa ang pork,” Castro added.

(The country is drowning in debt and there are so many social services that need funding but they prioritize their pork.)

House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list, for her part, raised concern over the fact that the CIF allocation for the Office of the President (OP), a civilian office, is much higher than the Department of National Defense’s of P1.898 billion.

"Sa gitna ng matinding krisis, mababang sahod at kagutuman, patuloy ang paglalaan ng dambuhalang pondo para sa confidential at intelligence funds. Kaya mahirap sabihing 'Agenda for Prosperity' ng 2024 budget,” said Brosas.

(Amid the ongoing crisis, low wages and hunger, we are continuing to allot gargantuan amounts to these confidential and intelligence funds. That is why it is hard to say that the proposed 2024 budget sets an “Agenda for Prosperity”.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News