The House of Representatives maintains that there are no budget allocations for confidential and intelligence purposes in the 2024 budget. House secretary-general, Reginald Velasco clarified in a statement that the lower chamber does not have any funds designated for confidential or intelligence-related activities.

“All line items in our budget are subject to regular accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” he said.

The house also denied having PhP 1.6 Billion in CIFs, in response to online rumors. However, Congresswoman Stella Quimbo, who also serves as the House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson, claims that the said funds are extraordinary and not CIFs, even though the expenses are listed under the House of Representatives’ category for “confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses.”

“The heading is confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary. So, confidential is different from extraordinary. Extraordinary expenses are fully auditable,” according to Rep. Quimbo.

Zero CIFs, only MOOEs for OVP, DepEd, and other gov’t departments

The Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) are two of the organizations that will receive “zero” Confidential and Intelligence Funds under the 2024 national budget bill.

The small committee in the House of Representatives has unanimously decided to reallocate CIFs away from some civilian agencies and towards those with a national security focus in the 2024 budget bill.

According to Rep. Quimbo, the panel reached a “unanimous decision” to “remove or realign the controversial confidential funds” for the agencies in the proposed 2024 national budget.

“The controversial confidential funds. As such, the Office of the Vice President (OVP), and the Departments of Education (DepEd), Information and Communications Technology, Agriculture, and Foreign Affairs are getting zero confidential funds under the 2024 General Appropriations Bill,” Quimbo said.

According to Quimbo, these agencies will be allocated Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) rather than confidential funding. She also stated that the small group considered the mandates of these government agencies.

“Generally ang thinking namin, ano ang mandato ng ahensya? Kung hindi kailangan ng surveillance at pwede gumamit ng MOOE at auditable, prefer namin na ganon ang paggastos,” Quimbo said.

“Kung pwede maging auditable, auditable na lang,” the congresswoman added.

Instead of confidential funds, these agencies will get the following amounts for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses: P30 million for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), P25 million for DICT, P30 million for DFA, P50 million for the Office of the Ombudsman, and P150 million for DepEd’s Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education.

CIFs realigned to National Security Agencies, DoTr

Most of the funds in the proposed 2024 General Appropriations Act will go to agencies entrusted with protecting national security, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

A total of P1.23 billion in confidential and intelligence funds were realigned to these agencies: National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (P300 million), National Security Council (P100 million), Philippine Coast Guard (P200 million), and Department of Transportation (P381.8 million).

“We believe that the House of Representatives is on the right side of history. We are responding to the call of the times. And the volatile situation in the West Philippine Sea calls for immediate decisive action to protect our national sovereignty,” Rep. Quimbo, stated.

Changes to fight inflation – Rep. Co

Co added that changes made to the 2024 General Appropriations Bill, totaling P194 billion, were intended to fight inflation and make investments in people and the future of the nation, in addition to reallocating confidential funds.

The small committee changed the proposed 2024 budget to include the following items: P20 billion to DA for the rice subsidy program; P40 billion to the National Irrigation Administration to install solar-driven irrigation pumps and subsidize communal irrigation; P2 billion to the Philippine Coconut Authority for massive planting/replanting of seedlings; P1.5 billion for vaccines against the African swine fever; and P1 billion to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority to build fishery and post-harvest facilities.

These were also allocated: P43.9 billion to the Department of Health for Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP), legacy and specialty hospitals, cancer assistance, communicable diseases program, and health facility enhancement; P1 billion to the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital for MAIP; P35 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations and Sustainable Livelihood Program; P17.5 billion to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay? sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers/Government Internship Program; P10.4 billion for the DoLE-Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Training for Work Scholarship Program; and P17.1 billion for the Commission on Higher Education’s Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program.

Rechannel OP’s CIF to social services – Brosas

Gabriela Partylist representative Arlene Brosas praised the decision to realign the confidential funds for five government offices.

“The overwhelming public clamor to remove and realign confidential funds has prompted Congress to realign such corruption-prone allocations. This is a huge win for the vast majority of Filipino people calling for transparency and accountability in government spending,” the congresswoman said in a statement.

Brosas also commended the House leadership for fulfilling their promise to shift confidential funds from certain offices to agencies responsible for safeguarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

She also called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to return the Office of the President’s confidential funds and, in their place, reallocate the funds to basic social services.

“We call on President [Ferdinand] Marcos Jr. to give up his P4.56 billion confidential and intelligence funds, which is almost half of the total CIF (48.9%). These funds should be redirected to basic social services, especially amid the high prices of food and meager wages,” Brosas added.

Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines FB