By Liza Soriano
MANILA — The bicameral conference committee has given its approval to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), encompassing the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.
Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, stated that the final version of the bill eliminates the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for non-security agencies.
The confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education remain excluded.
“Yes, it’s no longer there. We increased the budget, but not the confidential funds […] It was transferred to security agencies,” Angara explained.
Meanwhile, Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co, chair of the House committee on appropriations, expressed gratitude to the senators for aligning with the House’s version of CIF.
“We are pleased with the entire Senate for agreeing, and they proved that there will be no speculation in the bicam about the return of confidential funds, especially in education,” Co said.
“This has not been reinstated, and we have sustained the desire of our fellow citizens to avoid these confidential, controversial funds.
(ai/mnm)