DBM says annual allotment on ‘decreasing’ trend
BUDGET Secretary Amenah Pangandaman yesterday said the percentage of Malacañang’s more than P10 billion Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) request in the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024 is smaller compared to this year’s allocation.
Pangandaman said that while the government is seeking a higher budget for its CIF next year, its actual percentage or share is only 0.176 percent in the proposed 2024 budget.
In a briefing in Malacañang, the budget chief said the percent share of the confidential and intelligence funds in the entire budget of the national government is on “decreasing trend.”
Pangandaman pointed out that in 2018, the CIF share in the total national budget was at 0.215 percent, which went down to 0.192 percent in 2019.
In fiscal year 2020, while the CIF slice in the budget pie went up to 0.235 percent, it again dropped to 0.212 percent in 2021, and even lower in 2022 with 0.183 percent.
She said that for this year’s budget, the CIF share is 0.190 percent, while the proposed CIF share in the 2024 budget is at 0.176 percent.
“So it’s (2024) the lowest po doon sa time series natin. Ibig sabihin po, iyong share niya doon sa kabuuang budget natin while, if you look at it, it’s P10 billion, it’s actually decreasing naman po (So it is [2024] the lowest in our time series. This means the share from the entire budget, if you look at it, it’s P10 billion, but it’s actually decreasing),” Pangandaman said.
Malacañang is seeking over P10 billion in CIF for 2024, with P5.77 billion as intelligence funds (up from P5.217 billion in 2023) and P4.864 as confidential funds (down from P6.405 billion).
DICT, PSG FUNDS
Pangandaman said the increase in next year’s CIF is due to the higher allocation for the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
Budget Assistant Secretary Mary Anne dela Vega, in the same briefing, said the additional P300 million in DICT’s CIF will cover its cyber security programs, while the P50 million hike in the PSG’s intelligence fund allocation will cover intelligence activities during President Marcos Jr.’s foreign travels.
Marcos, who has traveled 14 times since becoming President last year, is expected to go on a state visit to Vietnam in January 2024, as well as attend the ASEAN and APEC Summits that would be held in Laos and Peru, respectively, next year.
The Palace or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) have yet to release a list of the President’s scheduled foreign trips in 2024.
Pangandaman justified the additional confidential funds of DICT as the country addresses cyber security concerns while the government pursues its digitalization program.
She assured the public that the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds is covered by an existing circular and will be properly accounted for.
She said a joint circular, issued in 2015, specifies where the confidential and intelligence fund can be used, the disbursement procedures for the funds, and who ensures the accountability of finance or administrative officers and disbursing officers, among others, should there be any irregularities.
Pangandaman was referring to Joint Circular No. 2015-01 issued on January 8, 2015 by the DBM, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Commission on Audit, and the Governance Commission for Government owned and Controlled Corporations that sets the “guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting and audit of confidential and/or intelligence funds.”
FOREIGN TRIPS
Pangandaman likewise defended the higher allocation for the President’s foreign travels next year, pointing out how such trips are being used by the Marcos administration to promote the country as an investment destination, among others.
The national government is asking for a P1.408 billion budget for the local and foreign missions and state visits for 2024.
“Kami po, hindi lang po ang Presidente, even the economic managers, if you notice po, we’ve been going out of the country to present the Philippines as an investment hub po. So I think ‘yung expenses po ng travel, as long as it will be beneficial and mas may advantage po para sa bansa natin, I think okay lang po ‘yun. It’s justified (The President, even the economic managers, if you will notice, we’ve been going out of the country to present the Philippines as an investment hub. So, I think the travel expenses, if it will benefit the country, are okay. It’s justified),” Pangandaman said.
She said apart from the foreign trips of Marcos, the fund will also be used for the government’s economic roadshows abroad.
Asked how much has been spent so far on Marcos’ former travels, Pangandaman said the DBM is still unable to release the figures.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas criticized the Executive’s P1.408 billion budget for local and foreign missions, as well as state visits, for 2024.
“This exorbitant amount represents a 58 percent increase from the previous year’s budget, and it is unacceptable considering the pressing needs of the Filipino people,” said the militant lawmaker.
Brosas said that while the President justifies these expenses as necessary for attending regional summits and visiting key allies, “we question the priorities of such extensive travel arrangements.”
“The Filipino people expect their leaders to focus on addressing the urgent issues facing the country, such as poverty, meager wages, and food insecurity, rather than indulging in lavish trips,” she added.
Pangandaman also explained the P2.93 billion cut in the budget of the University of the Philippines (UP) in 2024, which she said was due to the removal of budgetary allocations for several infrastructure projects that have been completed or up for completion this year.
The 2023 budget of UP is P25.52 billion.
She said the budget reduction should not affect the number of student admissions in the university next year.
Pangandaman added that the education sector remains as the highest budgetary priority of the Marcos administration as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.
For 2024, the education sector will get P924.7 billion, which is 3.3 percent higher than the current P895.2 billion budget.
COMELEC BUDGET
Due to the cut in its 2024 budget proposal, Elections chairman George Garcia said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is left with no choice but to effect changes in its plans and programs for the May 2025 midterm polls.
“We need to remove some items so that we can save money,” said Garcia, adding that one available option is to increase the number of voters per clustered precincts to lower the required units of voting machines and other poll paraphernalia.
The poll chief said they may also reduce the number of required support staff in each clustered precincts come Election Day.
On the other hand, Garcia said it may be difficult to alter components of the automated election system (AES) to be used in 2025 because “the software and hardware components of the AES is bundled.”
Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body can push through with the procurement of the AES as their full payment will run through 2025.
This, he said, means that all components of the AES may still be paid by the Comelec once the 2025 budget becomes available.
“While this 2024 budget figure may not cover the total budgetary requirements for the May 2025 National and Local Elections, we are expecting that the remainder of the said NLE fund requirements will be budgeted for FY 2025,” he said.
“(We expect that it will be) released in time for the last phase of preparations, which is on the 1st quarter of 2025 itself, and this without further delay,” added Laudiangco.
Based on the 2024 budget proposal submitted by the DBM to Congress, the proposed budget for the Comelec was slashed from P43.7 billion to P27.1 billion. — With Wendell Vigilia and Gerard Naval
