The Senate is planning to reallocate the confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of civilian government agencies to security and intelligence agencies, Senate President Juan Miguel 'Migz' Zubiri said on Wednesday, September 27.
In a statement, he said they have intentions to follow the House of Representatives' move to reallocate the CIFs to intelligence and surveillance agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
"We have agreed in the Senate to do the same. We also will reallocating funds that we feel are not necessary for the use of certain agencies and allocate them to our Intelligence Community as well as our Coast Guard and AFP," Zubiri said.
He assured that the CIF of all government agencies, including the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), would be reviewed.
Meanwhile, lone Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros extended her support to the Senate and House of Representatives' plan to reallocate the CIF to agencies that are defending the country's territory and protecting the West Philippine Sea.
"Deserve na deserve nila ang dagdag na suportang ito. Masaya ako dahil tumitibay na talaga ang ating panawagan noong nakaraang Agosto na palakasin ang kakayahan ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) at ng ibang ahensiya," she said in a statement posted on her Facebook account.
"Kailangan nila ng malaking pondo dahil pinoprotektahan nila ang ating likas yaman, ang ating mga kababayan, ang kabuhayan ng ating mga mangingisda, at, syempre, ang kinabukasan ng ating bansa," Hontiveros added.
According to the Senator, it is not upright that the PCG would exhaust the ₱10 million in CIF for 2024 while others are given ₱500 million in CIF.
She maintained that the CIF should be left to those agencies directly "mandated to uphold national security and protect" Filipinos.
Hontiveros said she is glad that the Congress is setting the "national priorities straight."
