The Senate on Thursday approved the proposed PHP 8.96-billion 2023 budget of the Office of the President (OP), which also includes a PHP 4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).
Of the PHP 4.5 billion, PHP 2.25 billion is in confidential funds, while the other PHP 2.25 billion is allocatted to intelligence.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mark Villar moved that the proposed 2023 budget of the Office of the President be deemed submitted for the upper chamber's approval.
Only Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III scrutinized the budget of the president's office.
He questioned the need for this much in confidential and intelligence funds, as there are existing intelligence agencies and units in the government which can serve the intelligence needs of the OP or the President himself.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, sponsor of the 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), defended the need for the President to have his own share in intelligence funds.
“There may be individuals who are not willing to give [intelligence] to a large organization and expose themselves. But if they know that that information is going [directly] to the President, then that would encourage them to give that information,” Angara said.
