COA Speaks on Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ Office Confidential & Intel Funds Spending
BONGBONG MARCOS’ OFFICE – The Office of the President is the top confidential funds and intel funds spender as per the Commission on Audit (COA).
The Confidential Fund has become a controversial topic in the Philippines amid the questions on the CIF spending of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). The House panel has conducted several hearings on the Confidential Fund’s of Duterte’s office.
It was just recently when the panel of the House of Representatives decided to conclude the hearing on the Confidential Funds spending of the Office of the Vice President. The decision came amid the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte.
According to the House panel, they do not want their investigation to be used citing that it was conducted in aid of legislation. Recently, amid the issues, the Commission on Audit or COA released the list of the top 10 spenders of the CIFs.
Based on a report on GMA News, COA revealed that Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ office tops the list of the Top 10 spenders of the Confidential Funds and the budget for the intel. The CIFs spending of the Office of the President (OP) in 2023 reached a combined amount of P4.56 billion.
According to COA, Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ office spent P2.25 billion confidential funds and P2.31 billion intelligence funds in 2023. The OP is followed by the Department of Justice in the list of the Top 10 confidential and intel funds spenders in 2023.
The DOJ spent P683,853,000 and it is followed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency with P500 million spending in CIFs. Based on the report, here are the Top 10 spenders of the confidential and intel funds:
- Office of the Vice-President Sara Duterte with P375 million
- National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) with P127,413 million
- National Security Council (NSC) with P90 million
- Department of National Defense (DND) with P78,921 million
- Department of Interior and Local Government with P75 million
- Department of Finance with P61 million
- Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity with P49.5 million
- Department of Foreign Affairs with P35 million
Based on the report, with regards to the Confidential Funds spending, the OVP outspent the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), National Security Council (NSC), and the Department of National Defense (DND).
With regards to the overall Confidential Fund spending, it rose from P3.85 billion in 2022 to P4.42 billion in 2023. There is also an increase in the Intelligence Fund spending from P5.9 million in 2022 to P6 million in 2023.
Recently, following the ending of the investigation on the OVP confidential funds, the House panel wants to make a law seeking the disclosure of the Confidential Funds spending.