OP received P4.5B CIF for 2026 — DBM's Toledo

The Office of the President (OP) has received around P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for 2026, similar to its allocation for 2025.

Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo said this is part of the total CIF allocations under the 2026 national budget of P11.8 billion, lower than last year's CIF of  P12.1 billion.

"We just have to follow what is in the joint circular of DBM and COA. We just have to follow the rules and regulations. That is basically what we follow in terms of accountability and accounting of CIF," Toledo said at a Palace briefing.

"Also per our general provision, we need to report that to the House and Senate. It will be monitored accordingly,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto echoed Toledo's remarks and said the CIF of the OP remains transparent as it is being directly reported to Congress.

"I think it is transparent in a sense that the OP reports directly to the Senate President and Speaker of the House," said Recto.

"The OP submits reports to the House of Representatives and Senate President, and COA," he said.

Confidential funds refer to allocations in the national budget, as its name suggests, for confidential expenses involving surveillance activities in civilian government agencies.

Likewise, intelligence funds are meant for expenses related to intelligence activities or information gathering activities of the military, uniformed personnel, and other intelligence agencies tasked with ensuring national security.

In August 2025, Malacañang defended the OP's request of P4.5B, saying that President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is the chief architect of the country's security and foreign policy. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News