Brrcin€ssMirror
Tuesday, Septemb er 17,?.O19
?4.5-B confidential,
intelfundofOPbacked
HE chairman of the House
Committee on ApproPria-
tions on Monday defended
the Office ofthe President'i budget
for confidential and intelligence
funds, which accountfor more than
halfofthe entire budget ofthe OP
for next year.
Duringplenary deliberations on
the P8.2-billion budget of the OP
for 2020, Davao City Rep. Isidro
Ungab, the panel chairman, said
the P4.5 billion has been allotted
f or the President's conf idential and
intelligence funds.
As Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces of the PhiliPPines
(AFP), the President "needs re-
sources ro defend the country's
national security," Ungab stressed.
HesaidDutertewillusehis 2020
confidential and intelligence funds
for the government's fight against
drugs, criminality, insurgency and
terrorism.
Intel fund: . .
CoNTINuBD lRoM A1
year'
the P6.7-billion allocation it received this
l'We believe thbt we have to give the niuih-
neededresources to the Office ofthe President
exigencies," said
in ori"r ao-""attt""epresent
Unpab.
:A, th" gorr"rt
its
-"nt Plans ahead withpo-
foresight and with its proper military
the insiijous forces ate also
ii.;;il"*g,
,,t.rr'nlrrn kind of approach So the
'pr".ld",it "o"o,tt"t
must be updated, abreast, and I
believe we should grant this request"'he
added.
Durinq the plenary deliberations' Bayan
ques-
Muna Paity-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite
ilon"d the aOO-p"rient increase in the OP's
intellieence and confidential funds'
Uniab said confidential and intelligence
f,lnd""".e based on the coordindted and
\ ?pna)T ',AarG tl
"The President, as Commander
in Chief of the AFP. needs intel-
ligence and confidential informa-
tion in the performance ofhis dutY
in order to effectively, efficiently,
and precisely plan all intensified
efforts to suppress threats against
national security, terrorism, cam-
paign against illegal drugs, insur-
gency and transnational crimes,"
said Ungab.
thinkitis onlyproper andfit-
"I
ting that we ptovide the amount
as requested by the Office of the
President in order for the OP to be
able to deliver effectively and effi-
ciently the needs of the countrY,"
he added.
Of the OP's P8. 2 bill ionfor 2020 ,
P6.7 billion is formaintenance and
other operatingexpenses (MOOE),
P1.1 billion for personnel services
and P427 million forcapital outlay.
The OP's 2020budgetishigherthan
SEE "INTEL FUND," A2
_ \ .
integrated intelligence estimates of local
rrri'for"lno situaiions, which are needed
to carry o-ut the President's policies against
criminality.
E"rli"r, ih" M"kabayanbloc also questioned
ng
lhebiqgestpresidenl ialporkin history' noti
'ro-J7"port. say, amounts lo Pl 7 trillion'
'th"r,
o. -oru . qo",t"t of the P4 1-trillion
budset."
ri""btc itid such "pork' is all under the
Soecial Purpose Funds (SPF) which did not
tt p,-t.pote. The Presidenr and his al-
"i"l;fu t " dii".t cont rol of the funds under
il."no,
"u"
the iroposed General APProPriations Act'
"it isincumbentupon Congress to scrutinize
because
the nationalbudget especially the SPF
i i".f"ttifta """"tlumongiirs lump sum' and'
- :pr"tii""t
therefote, pork barrel," the bloc said
would
Duterteiust saidthathe
veto anvpork in the naiiorralbudget Heshould
veto this as well"' it added
r"i -pf" ""a
"" "'"" loveeilo e['ddacrul