Senate Promises Strict Oversight on Confidential Funds
MANILA, Philippines — The new Senate finance committee chair, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, assured on Monday that the distribution of confidential funds will be tightly controlled. He emphasized that the confidential funds will be limited to agencies that genuinely need them.
“The confidential funds will no longer be a free-for-all,” Gatchalian declared during the Kapihan sa Senado forum. “We will definitely be very strict when it comes to confidential funds.”
Law Enforcement Agencies Prioritized for Confidential Funds
The senator clarified that only certain agencies, such as the Philippine National Police and similar law enforcement bodies, deserve confidential and intelligence funds. He stressed that “left-field” or unrelated offices should not receive these funds.
This statement came amid questions about the budget of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, which included confidential funds in previous years. Under Duterte’s term, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) received P125 million and P500 million in confidential funds for 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Questions Raised Over Vice President’s Confidential Funds
Concerns emerged regarding the OVP’s spending of these funds, especially after allegations surfaced that the P125-million confidential fund for 2022 was quickly depleted in just 11 days. Such allegations contributed to the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte in the House of Representatives.
In response, the OVP withdrew its P500-million confidential fund request for 2024 and did not include any secret funds in the current year’s P6.3-trillion budget proposal.
Gatchalian’s firm stance signals a move toward greater accountability and transparency in managing government confidential funds. Under his leadership, the Senate Finance Committee aims to ensure funds are allocated responsibly and only to agencies with legitimate needs.
For more news and updates on confidential funds distribution, visit Filipinokami.com.
