By Glaiza Salanio

Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte continues to defend her proposed budget, specifically the confidential funds, despite being questioned by different government officials.

Multiple budget hearings were held in the House of Representatives and the Senate to tackle this concern, attended by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Committee on Finance, respectively.

The first budget hearing

The House Appropriations Committee immediately passed the proposed PHP 2.3 billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the PHP 758 billion budget of the DepEd during a hearing last August 30.

Sara Duterte’s request for 2024 Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF), amounting to PHP 500 million for the OVP and PHP 150 million for the DepEd, was also included in the approved budget.

Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos quickly moved to terminate the OVP budget hearing out of “parliamentary courtesy” before the Makabayan Bloc could question how Duterte used the PHP 125 million confidential funds last year in just 19 days.

The question was later answered by Duterte herself, claiming that there were no irregularities in last year’s confidential funds.

During the DepEd budget hearing on the same day, Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman mentioned the issue of confidential funds.

“Considering the universe of shortages in the [DepEd], which would need adequate funding, Madam Secretary, would you voluntarily withdraw your request for confidential funds in the [DepEd]?” Lagman asked.

“There is a purpose and a need for confidential funds in the [DepEd] because basic education is intertwined with national security,” Duterte answered.

“But of course … We leave it to the discretion of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate the wisdom of granting confidential funds to the [DepEd],” she added.

Senate level

On September 4, after passing the House of Representatives, the proposed budgets of the OVP and the DepEd were also approved at the Senate Committee on Finance hearing.

At the hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned Duterte about the primary use of the confidential funds of the OVP and the projects that will benefit from it.

Duterte then responded that all OVP projects need confidential funds for safe, secure, and successful implementation. 

She also said that she was not insisting on having confidential funds in her office’s budget, although it would make their work ‘easier.’

“We can live without confidential funds, but of course, our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility,” Duterte said.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel pointed out the PHP 125 million confidential funds used by the OVP in 2022 despite having zero allocations in the budget for that year as managed by former Vice President Leni Robredo.

Duterte admitted that she requested it from Malacañang in August 2022, and it was approved before the year ended.

Duterte defends DepEd’s CI

On September 14, Duterte defended the DepEd’s confidential funds in the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.

Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas asked Duterte about the purpose of these funds in the DepEd budget.

“Kailangan pong tugunan ng gobyerno yung kakulangan sa pasilidad, ‘yung classrooms, ‘yung mga kagamitan, ‘yung mga guro na lubos na naapektuhan dito sa kalidad ng edukasyon. My question is, mayroon po kayong 150 million confidential fund sa DepEd, para po saan ito?” Brosas asked.

“The success of a project, activity, or program really depends upon very good intelligence and surveillance because you want to target specific issues and challenges,” Duterte answered, adding that the confidential funds would be used for security and surveillance.

House of Representatives’s Decision

On September 28, the House of Representatives decided to realign the OVP and the DepEd’s confidential funds in the 2024 national budget of the agencies involved in intelligence work.

“As discussed, we will realign the confidential funds of various civilian agencies. Now is the time to give our intelligence community the means to perform their duties, especially in these pressing times when we’re facing serious concerns in the West Philippine Sea,” Committee Chairman Representative Zaldy Co said.

“The country’s safety and security are of paramount importance. To protect our territorial integrity from external threats, Congress is giving top priority to agencies directly in charge protecting the country’s safety and securing its borders,” the Ako Bicol Party-list Representative added.

On the other hand, the Senate has yet to decide on their next budget deliberation.

On Wednesday, October 4, Sara Duterte said in a speech that whoever opposes the confidential funds is against peace; therefore, they are enemies of the state.

“Kung sino man kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayapaan ay kalaban ng bayan,” she remarked.

Thumbnail from The Philippine News Agency