Vice President Sara Duterte said on Monday, September 4, that they can only propose but not insist on Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
"The OVP can only propose the use of confidential funds based on Joint Circular 2015-01, but we leave it to the decision and discretion of Congress [which] has the power of the purse to decide whether to grant confidential funds to our office," Duterte said during the budget deliberations with the Senate committee on Finance.
"We can live without confidential funds, but of course our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility of confidential funds in monitoring the safe, secure, and successful implementations of the programs, projects, and activities of the OVP," she added.
According to the Vice President, the fund will help OVP with "safe, secure, and successful implementations of programs, projects, and activities."
During the budget hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros grilled Duterte regarding the OVP programs and mandate and the need for CIF.
Duterte answered that while the her post is a reserve, a "benchwarmer" position, her office has three permanent projects: the charter, the museum, and the permanent office and residence of the OVP.
"These are the entrepreneurship program, the peace-building in communities, and the Pagbabago advocacy campaign," she said.
Unconvinced, Hontiveros further asked Duterte if each of those mentioned would use confidential funds through their office.
Duterte replied and said, "Yes, mainly the confidential funds, as I said, are for the safe, secure, and successful implementations of the programs, projects, activities, and engagements of the Office of the Vice President."
Confidential funds are supposed to be used for surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the said agency.
In civilian government agencies, expenses for surveillance operations that are necessary to support the mission or daily operations of the agency are referred to as confidential expenses.
The Joint Circular No. 2015-01, released on January 8, 2015, by the Commission on Audit (COA) and four other government bodies, regulates the use of intelligence and confidential funds as well as the auditing of expenditures made in accordance with it.
This marks the second time that Duterte has requested a CIF allocation of P500 million, after making the same request last year.
On Monday, the Senate panel agreed upon the P2.39 billion budget for 2024, including the hefty confidential funds.
Former Vice President Leni Robredo did not have confidential funds during her term.
