Senate President Juan Miguel 'Migz' Zubiri on Wednesday filed a resolution seeking to form a special oversight committee that will check on the proposed confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of some government agencies.

In a press statement, Zubiri said he would head the proposed committee that would be composed of three majority members and one minority member.

He said forming a committee has been the Senate’s practice since the 10th Congress.

"It is our job, as an independent and democratic Senate, to keep watch over the use of the national budget. That is especially true for these sensitive funds, which are not subject to the usual auditing rules and procedures of the Commission on Audit,” he said.

“Being that we cannot identify the particulars of their usage ahead of time, the Committee is our way of subjecting these funds to checks and balances,” he added.

Under the 2023 General Appropriation Bill, Php 9.2 billion is allocated for confidential and intelligence funds.

Of which, Php 4.33 billion is for confidential funds, and Php 4.95 billion is for intelligence funds.

Zubiri stressed that while funds are important for agencies to conduct programs, operations, and activities, the Senate must be "vigilant" on how the funds would be utilized.

In the recent Senate budget deliberations, controversial CIFs being questioned by the opposition Senators are the Department of Education and Office of the Vice President — both under Vice President Sara Duterte as well as the Office of the President.