MANILA (UPDATED) - It's not just the expenses for the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN Summit next year that is raising the budget of the Office of the President (OP).

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte's confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses -- as well his travelling expenses -- will also grow next year.

For 2017, the OP's travelling expenses will be P2.12 billion, up from from P312.18 million in 2016.

Confidential expenses will be P1.25 billion, from P250 million in 2016. Extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses will be P12 million, from P17 million in 2016.

Duterte's intelligence expenses will be P1.25 billion in 2017, up from P250 million in 2016. Professional services will amount to P2.1 billion, from P78 million in 2016. Representation expenses, meanwhile, will be P7.5 billion in 2017, from P139 in 2016. On the other hand, P2.1 billlion will be allocated for the President's trips in 2017, up from P303 million in 2016.

Others expenses are communications (P1.3 billion in 2017 from P23 million in 2016); professional expenses (P2.1 billion in 2017 from P78 million in 2016); rent/lease (P2.3 billion in 2017 from P48.9 million in 2016).

The OP's total Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for 2017 is P19.2 billion. Personnel services will amount to P747, while capital outlay will cost P660,000.

Diokno said the President's confidential and intelligence fund "will be used in fight against drugs and criminality."

He also explained before lawmakers why the President's office budget grew by P15 billion.

"We took P15 billion for the ASEAN golden anniversary. We usually don't distribute it in the agencies because in the subsequent budget, they may consider it their base. P15 billion is not unreasonable considering this is the 50th, golden anniversary (of the ASEAN)," he said."We are one of founding members."

A special provision shows that the ASEAN hosting will cost P15.4 billion. The funds will be disbursed to several agencies. P11.07 billion will stay with OP, the Department of Tourism will get P749 million, the Presidential Communications Group will get P1.4 billion, the Department of Trade and Industry will get P177 million while the Department of the Interior and Local Government will get P2 billion.

Diokno was quizzed by Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago regarding the special purpose funds that amount to over P1.3 trillion.

Elago wants lump sums disaggregated. She also asked Diokno regarding proposals of lawmakers for projects and asked him to submit a list of congressional projects.

"We need to address the elephant in the room," she said. "Although Secretary Diokno has already issued clarifications regarding the alleged P80-million pork barrel allotted per lawmaker, this representation notes that the DBM has said that legislators are, and I quote, ‘not prohibited from proposing to the head of the agencies programs, activities or projects which his or her constituents brought to his or her attention to be financed by the national government.’"

Diokno defended the rights of lawmakers to propose projects. "It's been a practice," he said. "To make sure no corruption, I will tag every project."

"In President Duterte’s budget message, he explicitly said that the ‘provisions of this Budget are compliant with the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).’ It appears that such is not the case,” Elago said.

The lawmaker particularly noted Section 59, which reads as follows:

“Section 59. As a general rule, departments, bureaus and offices of the national government, including Constitutional Offices enjoying fiscal autonomy and SUCs shall spend what is programmed in their respective appropriations in this Act. In exceptional circumstances, agencies may modify the allotment issued within a program, activity or project subject to approval of the following:

(a) The heads of agencies for change in the object of expenditure (Salaries and Wages, Travelling Expenses, or Investment Outlays) within an allotment class (Personnel Services, MOOE or Capital Outlay);

(b) The DBM for modifications within a special purpose fund and within the purpose authorized under the Unprogrammed Appropriations; and

(c) The President of the Philippines for the payment of intelligence funds within the Executive branch."

Diokno admitted that he redefined savings in the 2017 budget proposal. "This budget is different from the definition of savings. If you see any provision inconsistent with SC decision, call my attention and do it yourself. We will allow it."

Diokno said there will be no more "DAP-like" mechanisms in the national budget. "I'm one of those who petitioned. I'm a petitioner of DAP. I will not dare violate the SC decision."

He said the progress of projects will be monitored electronically to make sure there will be no squandering of government funds.