Hundreds of groups urge Congress to scrap confidential, intel funds in 2024 budget

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 5) — Over 500 organizations and individuals on Thursday asked Congress to drop all confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) under the proposed 2024 budget and boost spending for public services instead.

«We call on Congress to remove all confidential and intelligence funds from the General Appropriations Act of 2023, and transfer all its funds to agencies concerned with the provision of public services,» Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan said in an open letter.

The letter was consigned after the Congress said in a joint statement on Sept. 27 that it will be reallocating the confidential and intelligence funds of some agencies to military and security services as a support to the Philippine Coast Guard, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and National Security Council.

READ: Congress to reallocate intel, confidential funds to security agencies

«We assert that these confidential funds are sources of corruption and misuse of public funds no matter their legality. We further assert that the immensity of the Filipino people's needs for, and rights to, dignified living and working conditions from cradle to grave far outweigh any need for inscrutable funds in the name of national security,» the letter reads.

According to the letter, increasing the funds of security agencies «contributes to worsening tensions in the Asia-Pacific.»

«The Philippines, as a country committed to the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, must insist on doing its part to halt the march to war and prioritize instead the just and equitable development of its economy and society,» the letter added.

The groups called on the government to prioritize the sectors of healthcare system, employment, education, and social services.

«We remind our legislators of the state's commitment under Art. II, Sec. 9 of the Constitution to secure for every Filipino a just and dynamic social order through the provision of adequate social services, full employment, and dignified living conditions,» it said.

The open letter was signed by various groups of professionals, religious, students, and civic organizations. Among them are Greenpeace,