Confidential, intelligence funds down 8.8% in proposed 2027 budget

The proposed 2027 national budget includes a combined P10.773 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), down 8.8% from the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) level, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Tuesday.

DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said the proposed allocation consists of P4.368 billion in confidential funds and P6.405 billion in intelligence funds.

The combined amount is P1.045 billion lower than the P11.818 billion allocated for confidential and intelligence funds under the 2026 GAA.

De Leon said the same government agencies and departments that received confidential and intelligence funds in 2026 are set to receive them under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), with the exception of the Philippine National Police, which will have a slight increase.

However, he said the proposed allocations remain lower than the agencies’ existing 2026 GAA levels.

Only agencies that are legally authorized to perform confidential and intelligence functions will receive such funds under the proposed 2027 NEP, De Leon said.

He also stressed that the use of CIF remains subject to existing budgeting, utilization, liquidation, and auditing rules.

“These funds are subject to existing budgeting, utilization, liquidation, and auditing rules to ensure accountability and that the funds are used solely for their intended purposes,” De Leon said.

The proposed 2027 national budget amounts to P7.2 trillion, P407 billion or 6% higher than the 2026 budget.

The proposed NEP will undergo congressional scrutiny before the final national budget is enacted. —VAL, GMA News