Malacañang willing to discuss P600-million OP intel fund

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is willing to discuss the P600-million intelligence funds for the Office of the President with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and those questioning them in Congress during the budget hearings.

“As you know, our call right now is transparency but we don’t know specific actions or plans of (DBM) Secretary Butch Abad,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. 

He said the DBM could discuss with administration allies Sen. Franklin Drilon and Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon their proposal to subject the OP’s funds to audit. Both Drilon and Biazon are from the Liberal Party.

“It’s something that they can discuss in a better manner. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” Lacierda said.

During Friday’s House appropriations committee hearing on the proposed P2.7-billion OP budget for 2012, Biazon criticized the “imbalance” in the allocation of intelligence funds.

“The OP has P600 million. The PNP (Philippine National Police) has P270 million. The DOJ (Department of Justice) has nearly P300 million. But the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) only has P133 million,” he said.

Biazon, a former AFP chief, said he could not understand why the military had apparently been relegated to the bottom in the distribution of intelligence money.

“During the first six months of 2010 (under the Arroyo administration), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office spent P180 million in intelligence funds, nearly P50 million more than what the AFP will have for the entire year next year,” he said.

“And yet, the PCSO is not even a security organization,” he pointed out.

Biazon asked Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., who was defending the OP budget, and Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, appropriations committee chairman, if there was a way of increasing the AFP spy budget.

He suggested that intelligence funds be re-allocated from other sources and added to the AFP.

“Can we give them, say, at least P300 million?” he asked.