Vice President Sara Duterte can withdraw her office's proposed confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for 2024 and realign this to government agencies or programs that need funding, political analyst Barry Gutierrez said on Sunday, Sept. 10.
"Dito sa confidential funds, hindi mo na kailangan hintayin na ang Kongreso pa ang kailangan kumilos. Mismong si VP Sara, nakita naman niya na may mga kwestyon dito, nakikita naman niya na may mga pangangailangan 'yung iba," Gutierrez said in an interview during DZRH's Isyung Pambayan.
"Pwedeng OVP [Office of the Vice President] mismo ang mag-request na wini-withdraw nila ang paghingi. Sila na mismo ang mag-magandang loob at sabihin na, 'wini-withdraw namin dahil nakikita namin na may mas mahalagang pupuntahan ito'," he added.
The political analyst agreed to the proposal that the CIF could be allocated for the national government's financial assistance to small retailers affected by the imposed rice price cap.
He said realignment is still possible since the budget hearing is ongoing.
"Ang laki ng pangangailangan doon sa pagbayad sa retailers natin na talaga naman na malaki ang tama sa kanila dahil sa price ceiling. So, yung pera na pwedeng pambayad sa kanila ay pwedeng kunin mula sa mga items na sa tingin naman ng Kongreso ay hindi gano'n kahalaga," Gutierrez said.
Meanwhile, the political analyst said he is also casting doubt on why the OVP's proposed CIF is higher than the Department of National Defense (DND), whose primary function is to conduct surveillance activities.
"Hindi ka magtataka na ang DND may CIF. Siyempre, pangunahing mandato niyan ay protektahan ang ating bansa laban sa mga external threats," he said.
Gutierrez likewise questioned the transfer of the Office of the President's (OP) CIF to the OVP in 2022.
Earlier, Duterte confirmed that they requested the transfer of CIF as early as August 2022, and was granted only by December 2022.
The said CIF was used for the construction of satellite offices.
"Bawal 'yun, ang confidential funds ay pang-surveilance eh. Meron tayong joint memorandum circular, nakalista doon ang pwede mong panggastusan ng confidential funds," he said, adding that the construction of offices should have instead included in the OVP's budget.
