THE House of Representatives committee on appropriations approved on Monday, September 14, 2020, the proposed P8-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2021, but lawmakers questioned the Palace's need for a P4.5-billion allocation for its intelligence and confidential funding.
The OP had requested for a P8.238-billion funding for next year, which is lower than its P8.25-billion budget for 2020.
Of this amount, the Palace intends to allocate P2.25 billion as confidential funds and another P2.25 billion as intelligence funds.
Kabataan Representative Sarah Jane Elago said the P4.5-billion confidential and intelligence funds could instead be used to buy Covid-19 test kits to improve the country's defense against the virus.
"Sa gitna po ng pandemya, tama po ba na hihingi pa ang Office of the President ng P12.98 million kada araw para sa 'black budget' kung ito ay magagamit sana natin para sa milyon-milyon na personal protective equipment?" Elago asked.
The lawmaker noted that the intelligence and confidential budget is safe from public scrutiny since it is not easily disclosed to public due to security concerns.
"Naturingan po itong 'black budget' dahil nga ito ay nakakatakas sa public scrutiny dahil nga doon sa nature ng funds - isa ito sa mga nagiging hadlang pagdating po sa transparency,"she said.
Deputy Executive Secretary for Internal Audit Alberto Bernardo defended the Palace's budget proposal, saying that the country is also facing the threats of terrorism.
"Mas mahalaga nga na sa ganitong krisis kasi napapatunayan natin na kahit mayroong Covid-19, mayroon pa rin tayong mga bombers [kagaya] ng nangyari rito sa Sulu," he said.
Bernardo was referring to the twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu on August 24, which killed 15 people and injured 74 others.
"Maraming nananamantala na mga terorista sa kaguluhan dulot ng Covid na magsasamantala para patalsikin ang seguridad ng bansang ito kaya mas nangangailangan tayo ng proteksyon," Bernardo said.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said that if there are funds allotted for the intelligence fund, then the country's National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) is "useless".
"If the Office of the President has billions of pesos in intelligence funds, hindi ba napaka-useless? Bakit mayroon pa tayong Nica with 800 employees? Unnecessary ito na nag-doble," Zarate said.
Last August, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque defended President Rodrigo Duterte's need for confidential expenses, saying he actually spent a portion of these funds for Covid-related programs.
"Tawag lang po diyan 'confidential' pero ito ho ay pondo na pupuwedeng gastusin ng Pangulo kapag mayroon pong pangangailangan at marami na po siyang nagastos sa kaniyang confidential fund para sa Covid-19, para sa mga namatay na sundalo, para sa mga namatay dahil sa Covid," Roque had said. (Jove Moya/VoxPop Philippines)