SENATOR Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara faced his colleagues during the marathon plenary session on Thursday to defend the P10.6-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2024.

In the plenary debate, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III asked Angara why the OP is requesting a P2.3-billion intelligence fund when it is not a uniformed or military agency or an intelligence practitioner.

Angara, quoting an earlier statement of Exec. Sec. Lucas Bersamin, stated that the President is both user and generator of confidential intelligence information and as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces he needs to make very crucial decisions.

The OP budget was deemed submitted for plenary approval.

Pimentel later said he has no problem with the grant of confidential funds (CF) to the Office of the President (OP) even if it is a civilian office.

Pimentel noted that under a joint circular on the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds, confidential expenses are expenses related to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.

“I have no issue with a grant of confidential funds to the Office of the President, a civilian government agency with multi-dimensional, multi-faceted operations, responsibilities, and tasks. I have no problem with the concept of granting,” Pimentel said.

The OP is proposing a P2.25-billion CF for next year.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Camille P. Balagtas