‘Senators more open to intel funds for OVP than DepEd’

Senators tackling the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023 are more comfortable providing confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) to the office of the second highest elective position than to the Department of Education (DepEd), which is also headed by Vice President Sara Duterte.

Sen. Sonny Angara said the Senate would try to approve next week the proposed General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2023 after senators ended plenary deliberations on the Marcos administration’s first spending program after midnight last Friday with some proposed amendments.

Angara, the principal sponsor of the proposed national budget, being the chairman of the Senate finance committee, added that the senators might realign to the Office of the Vice President the proposed CIF.

Under the proposed 2023 budget, the OVP will get P500 million and the DepEd will receive P150 million in confidential and intelligence funds.

“Other legislators are now more comfortable to give confidential intelligence funds to the OVP, which is also considered security establishment, than the DepEd,” Angara said in an interview over dzBB radio.

“To realign to the OVP, that’s what the senators want,” he added.

The DepEd justified its request for the CIF to finance efforts against the recruitment of young children to terrorism and protection of children from sexual harassment, according to Angara.

He admitted that if there is a way to itemize such a budget, it would be better.

The senator also clarified that providing intelligence funds to the DepEd was done in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

While she confirmed her two agencies’ need for CIFs, Duterte said she would leave the decision about the matter to the wisdom of the lawmakers.

After two weeks of marathon plenary deliberations, the Senate enters the period of amendments that lasts for a few days before the GAB is passed on the second then third and final reading.

The chamber will try to achieve its target of passing the same by the middle of next week, according to Angara.

Compared with the 2022 national budget, he said the proposed 2023 national budget is focused on recovery, which means financial assistance will be to targeted sectors like agriculture, transportation, tourism, students and overseas Filipino workers, who lost their jobs abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.