By Liza Soriano
The Senate gave its approval on Thursday for the 2024 budget of the Office of the President, totaling P10.4 billion, which includes a P2.3 billion allocation for intelligence funds.
While Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel 3rd acknowledged the necessity of providing confidential funds to the multifaceted civilian agency, he expressed reservations about the legality of granting intelligence funds (IF) to the Office of the President.
Pimentel suggested that there might be a need to question this decision before the Supreme Court, emphasizing that intelligence expenses are traditionally associated with the activities of uniformed and military personnel.
Pimentel raised concerns, stating, “I don’t think the OP is composed of intelligence practitioners.” He suggested that activists and lawyers could potentially file a case with the Supreme Court to test the legality of providing intel funds to the Office of the President, considering its civilian nature.
In an appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Ilocano background, Pimentel urged a review of the amounts allocated for the Office of the President’s intelligence fund.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio participated in the Senate plenary discussion regarding the proposed P1.874 billion budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2024.
The initially proposed budget of P2.378 billion was reduced to over P1.8 billion by the House of Representatives, which removed the OVP’s proposed confidential and intelligence funds, reallocating them to agencies responsible for national security.
(ai/mnm)
