A MILITANT lawmaker yesterday challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reduce the P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) allotted to the Office of the President under the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026.
Rep. Antonio Tinio (PL, ACT), a member of the Makabayan bloc, said the President should set a good example now that Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds has been exposed to the public through the investigations undertaken by the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress.
The House’s findings in the committee hearings were used as basis for the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte.
“We’re challenging the President. Eliminate, or at least significantly cut, your confidential and intelligence funds,” Tinio said in Filipino in a press conference.
He vowed to thoroughly scrutinize the OP’s proposed CIF once the House Committee on Appropriations begins marathon hearings on Malacañang’s proposed spending budget.
He said the OP’s CIF request dwarfs the P612.5 million that Duterte allegedly misused in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which she used to head as secretary.
“We’ll not let the budget hearings pass without asking an explanation why the OP is asking for billions in confidential funds,” Tinio said. “I’m certain that the purposes can be accomplished without using confidential funds.”
Palace Press Officer Clare Castro said the CIF requested by the OP is necessary given that the President is the Commander-in-Chief and chief architect of national policy, national security and foreign policy.
“The President needs funds. Let’s remember, confidential funds are not bad if used correctly. Confidential funds or funds become bad only if used by a corrupt person, that’s all,” Castro said in Filipino.
The OP’s proposed CIF for 2026 is almost half of the total P10.77 billion proposed budget for confidential and intelligence funds under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). The OVP did not ask for confidential funds for the second straight year.
The proposed total CIF budget for next year is 11.18 percent lower than what the Executive proposed last year in the NEP, which was P12.1 billion.
The OP traditionally receives the lion’s share of the CIF to give the Chief Executive a freehand in dealing with national security issues.
The CIF is a lump sum allocation which has always been criticized for not being open to public scrutiny.
The OP’s proposed 2026 CIF is four times bigger than the budget allocated to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), which will get P1.4 billion. It is likewise higher than the CIF given to the Department of National Defense, which was allotted P1.8 billion, and the PNP and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) which will get a total of P2.2 billion.
‘NECESSARY’
Castro also defended the other budget requests of Malacañang, such as the P1.018 billion budget for local and foreign trips of the President in 2026, which she said are needed to fund the travels of Marcos who visits different countries to invite investors to bring their businesses to the Philippines.
She said the funding is also for the President’s travels within the county, especially when he inspects programs and projects in the different parts of the country, or visits places affected by calamities.
On the non-allocation of funds for next year’s Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), or the financial aid for minimum-wage earners, Castro reiterated the explanation of the Department of Budget and Management that there is still an unspent P14 billion out of the P27 billion budget for this year, which the government can use next year.
She said that for 2025, only P13 billion has been distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday turned over copies of the P6.793 trillion NEP for 2026 to representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), fulfilling his promise that the deliberations on the national budget will be opened to the public amid the allegations of irregularities against lawmakers.
“This is not just about documents — it’s about trust,” Romualdez said. “The budget is the lifeblood of government. It tells our people where we are putting their hopes and their hard-earned taxes. If we want our people to trust us, they must see and feel that the budget is truly theirs.”
The ceremonial turnover, held at the social hall of the House of Representatives, was undertaken after the unanimous approval of the Speaker’s House Resolution No. 94, which institutionalizes the participation of people’s organizations as non-voting observers in House budget deliberations.
Among the CSOs which participated in the event were Social Watch, CODE-NGO, the Jesse Robredo Institute of Governance, Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, Child Rights Network, Parents Against Vape, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Multiply-Ed Philippines, FOI Youth Initiative, Safe Travel PH, REID Foundation, People’s Budget Coalition/Citizen’s Budget Tracker, and Novalerto Youth.
“Opening the budget process from the Legislative side is a big milestone,” said Maxine Tanya Hamada of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, who acted as the groups’ spokesman.
“We represent people, communities, and issues. Knowing we are working together under the 20th Congress is something we take very seriously,” she also said.
Romualdez briefed the observers on reforms on this year’s budgeting process which includes removing the “small committee” that previously finalized the lawmakers’ proposed amendments to the budget behind closed doors; opening the House-Senate bicameral conference on the budget to the public and the media; inviting civil society, people’s organizations and the private sector to budget hearings; strengthening the House’s oversight of budget execution; and prioritizing investments that genuinely aim to change people’s lives.
NO ORAL ARGUMENTS YET
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said it has yet to set the dates for the conduct of oral arguments on the petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional Republic Act No. 12116 or the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
The SC has twice cancelled the scheduled oral arguments on the petitions.
SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting said: “At present, no schedule has been set for the GAA oral arguments.”
The SC originally scheduled the oral arguments on the petition filed by former executive secretary Rodriguez and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab on April 1, 2025. This was cancelled and rescheduled to May 19.
This was again cancelled and reset to “a later date, subject to further notice from the Court.”
The SC did not give any explanation for the cancellations. – With Jocelyn Reyes and Ashzel Hachero
