Hontiveros wants ban on increasing secret funds through contingent fund

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 8)— Sen. Risa Hontiveros is eyeing the prohibition of augmenting confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) under the contingent fund for the proposed 2024 budget.

«As a matter of fiscal prudence, we like to include the augmentation of the CIF as a prohibition under the Contingent Fund,» Hontiveros said on Wednesday, the first day of the Senate's plenary debates for the proposed 2024 budget.

When asked if he's willing to discuss the proposal, Sen. Sonny Angara, the 2024 budget bill sponsor, answered: «Yes, I think there's merit in that.»

«But I'm being told if it's overbroad, it may hamper some of the security agencies, so perhaps there may be an exception to the exception or exception to your proposal just in case there are emergencies,» said Angara, the Senate Committee on Finance chairperson.

Hontiveros pledged that her proposal, at the proper time, would not pertain to security agencies with clear national defense and public safety mandates and expertise, but only to civilian agencies lacking those directives.

Where is this coming from?

Currently, under the special provision of the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the Contingent Fund is prohibited from being used for the purchase of motor vehicles.

The proposed ₱13 billion Contingent Fund will cover funding requirements of new or urgent activities or projects of national government agencies, Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations, and local government units that need to be paid during the year, according to the NEP.

Hontiveros floated her suggestion after the Office of the Vice President (OVP), under incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte, spent ₱125 million in confidential funds in 2022 even if her office was not allocated with the expense under that year's national budget.

RELATED: Petitioners ask SC to declare ₱125-M transfer for OVP's confidential funds unconstitutional

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman explained that the ₱125 million released — not transferred — to the OVP came from the ₱7 billion budget set aside as Contingent Fund for 2022, and was «intended to support the OVP's Good Governance