Komite ng Kamara ginawang 'zero' confidential funds ng OVP, DepEd, atbp.
MANILA, Philippines — Walang mahihitang confidential funds ang Office of the Vice President, Department of Education, atbp. civilian departments matapos tanggalin ng House small committee sa pagpasok ng "institutional amendments" sa panukalang 2024 budget.
Ito ang ibinahagi ni appropriations committee chairperson Elizaldy Co ngayong Martes sa isang pahayag matapos ang unang pahayag ng political parties na ililipat ang kontrobersyal na pondo para matiyak ang seguridad sa West Philippine Sea.
"Responsing to the call of the times and the volatile situation in the West Philippine Sea, the small committee — as mandated by the House Plenary — has decided to realign [confidential and intelligence funds] to agencies whose principal mandate is to gather intelligence and ensure the protection of our national sovereignty," ani Co kanina.
Kabilang sa matatanggalan ng confidential funds ang mga sumusunod:
- Office of the Vice President
- Department of Education
- Department of Information and Communications Technology
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Foreign Affairs
Matatandaang nababatikos ngayon ang kontrobersyal na P125 milyong "surveillance" funds ng OVP noong 2022, bagay na naubos agad sa loob lang sa pagitan ng 11 hanggang 19 araw.
Aabot sa P1.23 bilyong confidential funds ang nailipat sa 2024 General Appropriations Bill sa mga sumusunod na frontline agencies na nagbabantay at nagproprotekta sa teritoryo ng bansa sa West Philippine Sea gaya ng:
- National Intelligence Coordinating Agency: P330 milyon
- National Security Council: P100 milyon
- Philippine Coast Guard: P200 milyon
- Department of Transportation: P381.8 milyon
Ang pondong ilalaan sa PCG ay gagamitin para sa intelligence activities at bala habang gagamitin naman ito sa DOTr para sa pagpapaunlad at pagpapalawak ng Pag-asa Island Airport.
"We considered the mandate of the agencies since confidential funds are intended for surveillance activities in the performance of the agency's principal functions," ani appropriations committee senior vice chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo.
"We also looked at the previous year's budget and utilization levels before coming up with a decision."
Ibang pondo ilalaan sa mga tinanggalan
Imbis na confidential funds, gagawaran naman ng Kamara ang sumusunod na kagawaran ng sumusunod na halaga para sa Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses:
- DICT: P25 milyon
- DFA: P30 milyon
- DepEd: P150 milyon
- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources: P30 milyon
- Office of the Ombudsman: P50 milyon
Bukod sa paglipat ng CIF, idiniin din ni Rep. Co na nagpasok sila ng amenedments sa 2024 GAB na nagkakahalaga ng P194 bilyon para labanan ang paglobo ng inflation at para "mamuhunan sa kinabukasan ng bansa."
Una nang sinabi ni VP Sara Duterte na "kaaway ng kapayapaan" ang mga tumututol sa kontrobersyal niyang confidential funds. Pinagbabanatan si Duterte kaugnay ng naturang pahayag noong nakaraang linggo.
Desisyon pinuri ng mga progresibo
Ikinatuwa naman ng Gabriela party-list ang pagtanggal ng confidential funds sa limang government offices, ito habang hinahamon si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na isuko ang kanyang confidential funds at ilipat ito sa social services.
"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," wika ni Gabriel Rep. Arlene Brosas.
"However, we still have a long way to go. As the Senate deliberates the proposed 2024 National Budget, we will strengthen our call to completely remove all confidential funds and realign it to social services and programs."
Matatandaang 2022 nang ibalik ng bicameral conference committee ang P150 milyong confidential fund ng DepEd, maliban sa P10 bilyong pondo ng gobyerno para sa National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Dagdag pa ni Brosas, magandang ilagay na lang ni Marcos ang kanyang pondo para sa "undisclosed purposes" patungong edukasyon, healthcare, housing at livelihood.
"We call on President 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," sabi pa ni Brosas.
"We will continue to champion the interests of the Filipino people, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are addressed. Hindi maaaring ang mga opisyales at malalaking negosyante ang nakikinabang sa pondo ng taumbayan." — may mga ulat mula kay Christina Chi
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