‘REBRANDED PORK’ | Lawmaker questions necessity of confidential, intel funds in national budget

August 11, 2023 , 12:56 PM

(August 11, 2023) – Following the high confidential and intelligence fund request in the P5.768-trillion national budget, a progressive lawmaker on Wednesday questioned the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) about the necessity of such allocations, especially in civilian agencies.

Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel found it “illogical” to allot large funding to agencies whose primary functions are not relevant to national security. He also pointed out that the current allotment for confidential and intelligence funds has grown much higher compared with the previous administrations’.

“Parang pinapayagan ng DBM ang ganitong kalakaran sa iba’t ibang ahensya,” said Manuel during the first day of budget deliberations in the House of Representatives. “Historically, hindi ito ganoon kataaas dati. Ano ang naitutulong ng pag-allow ng confidential funds across various agencies for our economic growth?”

In total, the administration of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. proposed P10.14 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds under the 2024 National Expenditure Program.

Marcos’ office got a large chunk of the proposed confidential and intelligence fund at P4.5 billion. Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) requested P500 million worth of confidential funds.

The Department of Education, another agency led by Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, also has a total request of P150 million of confidential funds. As in the past, several lawmakers and cause-oriented groups reiterated their call to rechannel this funding to more pressing needs of the education sector.

Duterte-Carpio defended their confidential fund request under the DepEd budget because of the supposed link between education and national security.

“Napakahalaga na we mold children who are patriotic, children who will love our country and will defend our country,” said Duterte-Carpio last week.

DBM secretary Amenah Pangandaman reiterated that there are existing guidelines as to how confidential and intelligence funds must be used by the agencies that received them.

“Intelligence funds, if used, shall be released and disbursed for intelligence activities only,” said Pangandaman. “Confidential funds are authorized in this act and shall be released and disbursed only upon approval of department secretary, and can be used [in activities] related to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.”

But Manuel is not convinced about the necessity of confidential funding in the budget request of civilian agencies.

“Not all agencies have functions related to national security. That’s why we have civilian agencies with a delegation of tasks across the bureaucracy. Kaya bakit kalat-kalat at andaming confidential and intelligence funds across agencies?” asked Manuel.

For Manuel, the provision of confidential funding only acts as a “rebranded pork barrel,” which the Supreme Court already declared unconstitutional in the past.

“Isa itong convenient way para itago ang korapsyon dahil hindi ito nasisilip ng COA (Commission on Audit),” said Manuel. “Dapat ilaan na lang ito sa malinaw na mga programa at serbisyo lalo na para sa mga pasilidad sa edukasyon at sa pagtiyak ng de kalidad na trabaho.”

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