Tinio: Abolish intelligence and confidential funds

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio is calling again for the abolition of confidential and intelligence funds, as well as unprogrammed appropriations in the proposed 2027 national budget.

In an ambush interview today, Tinio said everything in the national budget must be transparent.

"Yan naman ang panawagan natin ever since, na dapat i-abolish ang confidential and intelligence funds. Wala dapat confidential sa budget, dapat transparent lahat. May mga ibang paraan para pangalagaan yung security concerns sa paggamit ng pondo. Tapos yung pondo na yan ay gamitin para sa, ito na nga, agrikultura, social services, education, and so on," Tinio emphasized.

(That has been our call for a long time, that confidential and intelligence funds are abolished. There should be nothing confidential in the budget; it should all be transparent. There are other ways to address security concerns in the use of funds. And the funds should be used for agriculture, social services, education and so on.)

House Appropriations Committee Senior Vice Chairperson and Bataan 2nd district Representative Albert Garcia said it is up to the various agencies given the said funds to defend their budget.

"'Yung mga ibang agency, nasa mandate nila 'to, especially yung nagpe-perform to secure our country internally and externally. 'Yun, maiintindihan natin, baka kailangan nila yung mga ganitong klaseng pondo," Garcia said in a separate ambush interview today.

The Department of Budget and Management on Tuesday confirmed that there are confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed 2027 national budget amounting to ₱10.773 billion.

Acting DBM Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, during yesterday's turnover of the proposed budget to the House of Representatives, defended the inclusion of the funds. "Tanging yung mga ahensya na [Only the agencies that are] legally authorized [to have] confidential and intelligence functions [have] confidential and intelligence funds under the 2027 National Expenditure Program. And we wish to reiterate that the use of confidential and intelligence funds remains subject to existing budgeting, utilization, liquidation, and auditing rules to ensure accountability and that the funds are used solely for their intended purposes," he said.

Tinio also stated that the unprogrammed appropriations in the proposed budget must be zeroed out.

"Yan ang posisyon nating matagal na, na actually unconstitutional ang unprogrammed appropriations. In fact, may mga petisyon na nakasalang sa Supreme Court kaugnay niyan. So dapat talaga absolutely zero na yan. Tapos may ibang pamamaraan naman na mas transparent such as yung pag-submit ng mga supplemental appropriations," Tinio explained.

Earlier, the DBM said items in the unprogrammed appropriations are actual projects such as foreign-assisted projects that are being evaluated by the Investment Coordination Committee.

House Appropriations Committee Chair and Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep Mikaela Angela Suansing also said locally-funded infrastructure projects are no longer allowed under the unprogrammed appropriations.

Tinio also pointed out that allocations for flood control projects could've been allotted for education, health, housing, and other social services.

The DBM said ₱107.4 billion worth of flood control projects were included in the proposed 2027 budget.

Tinio said these projects should be science-based.

"Kailangan naman talaga ng flood control projects. Pero kailangan may scientific basis. Ibig sabihin pinag-aralan tsaka may long-term plan sa pagpapatupad nito para tiyak na maging effective. Hindi yung kasalukuyang sistema na utay-utay at tingi-tingi dahil nakadepende sa insertion ng mga kongresista, senador, at kahit ng Malacañang," he stated.

"Kung pork barrel pa rin ang sistema ng pagpondo at pagpili ng projects, 'di mawawala yung corruption diyan," he added.

Tinio also raised the issue of alleged insertions in the budget.

"May mga initial submissions na ang mga kongresista, senador, at ang executive branch. Tapos, ngayon, ito ang realidad. Ngayon, ang nangyayari, pag nakuha yung NEP, titignan na ng mga kongresista kung yung mga sinubmit nila ay na-reflect ba diyan. Tapos pag hindi, diyan papasok yung errata. Kaya magkakaroon ng resubmission ng budget at some point. Usually, pagka yung NEP magiging GAB, doon ipapasok yung mga submissions or insertions," he said.

"Dapat makita natin 'yon kung meron man. And if it's not done appropriately, dapat ma-flag," Garcia said.

"Dito sa NEP, to be done appropriately, dapat dumaan talaga on the ground para demand-driven nang sa ganoon, pag in-implement, hindi magiging ghost kasi ito yung dinemand ng barangay captain, mayor, civil society from the ground. Tapos pag na-implement, dahil ito ang pinaka-kailangan nila, mawawala yung ghost project," Garcia added.

House leaders and leaders of the House Committee on Appropriations have assured that every peso in the budget will be allocated properly.

"Our chairperson, si Chair Mika, our speaker, our majority floor leader will make more efforts para itong year na 'to, better than last year na very transparent, very accountable ay mas lalo pang i-elevate for more participative, transparent, and accountable budget. Hindi tayo matutulog for the next two months to make sure of that. Then after that, siyempre, nasa execution na po ng executive," Garcia said.

"Napakaganda na po ng mga reporma na ating sinimulan last year so ipagpapatuloy lang natin yon," Suansing assured.

House Speaker Faustino Dy III, in an ambush interview today, also assured that the House will "ensure that transparent and accountable ang ating budget." — BM, GMA News