Congress denies having confidential funds

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 10) — Both chambers of Congress have denied having allocations of confidential funds, explaining that they only have «extraordinary expenses» under the budget.

In a news conference on Tuesday, ranking leaders of the House of Representatives were asked about circulating social media posts that the chamber has ₱1.6 billion in secret funds.

«Squarely, walang confidential funds ang Congress [Congress has no confidential funds],» declared Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations.

Quimbo explained that the ₱1.6 billion funding was allocated as the chamber's «extraordinary expenses» for this year.

She said extraordinary expenses are «fully auditable,» citing as an example expenses during calamities.

«In short, that's fake news,» said Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairman of the appropriations committee, referring to the alleged confidential funds of Congress.

The Senate also addressed the issue as social media posts said it was given ₱331.9 million in funds supposedly for clandestine activities.

It said the money is for «extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses» this year and is used for «meetings, seminars, conferences, public relations, education, and other activities of the chamber.»

«The social media posts are deliberately misleading and maliciously presented by some personalities who seek to malign and tarnish the reputation of an institution currently taking a long, hard look at the nature of confidential and intelligence funds and the government agencies that deserve to have them,» the Senate said in a statement.

It said past appropriations were «never used and were reverted to the National Treasury in full.»

The line item «Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expenses» is under the account category heading «Confidential, Intelligence, and Extraordinary Expenses» in budget documents.

It is different from confidential and intelligence funds, in which audit results of the expenses done by the Commission on Audit are not disclosed to Congress and the public.

Documents related to the national budget are easily accessed on the Department of Budget and