The administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is spending slightly more on surveillance in 2023 compared to the surveillance funds approved by the Duterte administration for 2022.

The 2023 National Expenditure Program shows that for 2023, the Marcos administration allocated P4.957 billion in intelligence funds and P4.332 billion in confidential funds, for approximately P9.29 billion in total.

In 2022, P5.365 billion was allocated for intelligence funds and P3.815 billion allocated for confidential funds for a grand total of P9.18 billion, approximately.

This amount is still lower than 2021, when there was P5.436 billion in intelligence funds and P4.197 billion in confidential funds, for a a grand total of P9.63 billion.

The General Provision of the NEP says Intelligence expenses refer to those related to intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel. and intelligence practitioners that have direct impact to national security.

On the other hand, the same NEP says confidential expenses refer to those related to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.

The same provision says no intelligence fund shall be released or disbursed for intelligence activities, including amounts sourced from savings, unless approved by the President of the Philippines.

The use of savings to augment intelligence funds is subject to prior approval of the President of the Philippines, upon joint recommendation by the Secretary of National Defense and the Secretary of Budget and Management.

Agencies utilizing intelligence funds shall submit to the President of the Philippines a quarterly report on the accomplishments in the use of said funds.

On the other hand, confidential funds shall be released or disbursed only upon approval of the Department Secretary concerned. Agencies utilizing confidential funds shall submit to the President of the Philippines and both Houses of Congress a quarterly report on the accomplishments in the use of said funds.

The following are the agency recipients of the funds:

Intelligence funds in 2023 NEP

• Office of the President: P2.25 billion
• Department of Interior and Local Government: P806.029 million
• Department of National Defense: P1.75 billion
• Department of Transportation: P10 million
• Other Executive Offices: P140.2 million
• The DILG covers the Philippine National Police while the Department of National Defense covers the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
• The Department of Transportation covers the Philippine Coast Guard.

Confidential Funds in 2023 NEP

• Office of the President: P2.25 billion
• Office of the Vice President: P500 million
• Department of Education: P150 million
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources: P13.95 million
• Department of Finance: P80.5 million
• Department of Foreign Affairs: P50 million
• Department of Interior and Local Government: P100.6 million
• Department of Justice: P382.64 million
• Department of National Defense: P37 million
• Department of Social Welfare and Development: P20 million
• Department of Transportation: P5.599 million
• Other Executive Offices: P680 million
• Commission on Audit: P10 million
• Office oft he Ombudsman 51.46M
• Commission on Human Rights: P1 million

For her part, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro said that the P4.95 billion intelligence fund and the P4.332 billion confidential shows the skewed priorities of the Marcos administration.

“Instead of allotting more funds to health and education to improve our dismal health care system as well as upgrade the level of our educational system, almost P10 billion is allotted as presidential pork.” Castro said.

“This administration should be more prudent in spending taxpayer's money because we are still under a pandemic and our economy is in shambles. We from the Makabayan bloc and the Minority would try our best to ensure that what our people need like higher salaries, aid, health services and improve quality of education are the ones that are given budgetary priority rather than the whims of those in power.” Castro added.

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