Marcos admin proposes P10.77-B confi, intel funds for 2026; none for OVP
'For the 2026 NEP, the total for confidential and intelligence funds is P10.77 billion,' Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said at a press conference following the turnover of the proposed national budget to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The proposed CIF next year is lower than the P12.1 billion allocated under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
'Ito po ay bumababa from the GAA ng P1.35 billion or 11.18%,' the Budget chief said.
Broken down, confidential funds stand at P4.386 billion while intelligence funds amount to P6.398 billion.
Confidential funds refer to allocations in the national budget, as its name suggests, for confidential expenses involving surveillance activities in civilian government agencies
Likewise, intelligence funds are meant for expenses related to intelligence activities or information gathering activities of the military, uniformed personnel, and other intelligence agencies tasked with ensuring national security.
Pangandaman said the Office of the President will get the highest CIF allocation at P4.5 billion, followed by the Department of National Defense with P1.848 billion.
The entire proposed OP budget for 2026 stands at P27.362 billion, higher than the P15.9 billion under this year's national budget.
'Then other executive offices including the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Games and Amusement Board, NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency), National Security Council, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Reconciliation and Unity, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency— will get P2.292 billion,' she said.
Of the above-mentioned agencies, the Budget chief said the NICA will receive the bulk of the allocation at P1.471 billion.
Other offices such the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman were also allocated with CIF at P10 million and P51 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP), for the second straight year, did not get a CIF allocation under the 2026 NEP.
The OVP earlier said it did not request CIF for next year.
Last year, the House decided to reduce the budget of the OVP from the originally proposed P2 billion to P733 million amid Duterte's refusal to answer lawmakers' questions on OVP budget use, including confidential funds.
Under the 2026 NEP, the proposed budget for the OVP was set at P902.895 million.
'On our side, on the part of the House, we'll assess it [CIF] based on… general provisions there are certain agencies and offices that are allowed to have confidential and intelligence funds based on necessity primarily those engaged in national security and those that have police and enforcement powers,' said House Appropriation Committee chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing.
'Posibleng bumaba, ma-retain, posibleng tumaas… makikita natin sa kurso ng mga deliberasyon natin,' Suansing added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
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