By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Thursday defended the Office of the President’s (OP) proposed P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for 2026, citing its necessity for national security and proper utilization.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the allocation, nearly half of the P10.77-billion total CIF under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), is needed because the President is the commander-in-chief of the uniformed services and chief architect of national policy, including national security and foreign policy.
“Ang tandaan po natin, ang confidential funds o ang pera ay hindi naman masama kung ginagamit sa tama. Ang confidential funds or pondo ay nagiging masama kung ginagamit ng isang corrupt,” Castro said in a press briefing at the Palace.
Castro also dismissed criticism from former Department of Finance undersecretary Cielo Magno, who questioned the President’s moral authority to request a large CIF allocation.
The Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) alleged misuse of CIF in 2022 was among the grounds used by the House of Representatives in its Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Confidential expenses, according to a 2015 joint circular, pertain to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies, while intelligence expenses are those related to intelligence information-gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel that have direct impact on national security.
“Nagkakaroon lang naman po ng comparison dahil kung hindi mai-report ng tama at gumagamit ng mga certificate o iba-ibang mga resibo para lang sabihin nagamit ang confidential funds — iyon ang difference,” Castro said.
The Palace official also asked the camp of the Vice President to explain the alleged use of military certifications to justify P15 million in CIF expenses.
Lawyer Michael Poa, one of the 16-member defense team for the Vice President’s impeachment case, said their camp is ready to address the issues in the “proper forum.”
