Philippines can live without confidential funds: Lagman

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman on Saturday said Philippines could live without confidential funds and might operate with limited intelligence funds, amid questions raised on these topics.Confidential expenses refer to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency. These may be used upon the approval of the department secretary."Definitely, the country can go ahead without confidential funds. Pero itong intelligence funds, kailangan ito sa mga ahensya na engaged in gathering intelligence," Lagman said over Teleradyo Serbisyo. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/02/23/marcos-admin-seeks-over-p10-b-surveillance-confi-funds'>Marcos admin seeks over P10 billion in surveillance, confidential funds</a></li></ul>Lagman said it was important for public officials to be "frugal" in allocating these funds even if they were "entitled" to this. The lawmaker noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Office of the Solicitor-General's (OSG) confidential and intelligence funds were not justified. "Kung kailangan nila (OSG) ng surveillance, bakit hindi i-avail 'yung services ng NBI. Kapares din ng DICT. Kung kailangan nila mag-avail ng services for surveillance purposes, andiyan ang PNP, andiyan ang military, at andiyan ang NBI," he said. "They should avail of these services without getting ang pondo on confidential funds," he said. 2022 confidential fundsThe Makabayan bloc flagged the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) 2022 confidential fund during the budget briefing of the Commission on Audit (COA) earlier this month.The contingent fund is at the center of the controversy regarding OVP's 2022 confidential fund because it was used to fund that confidential expense allegedly without a line item in the 2022 budget.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/17/23/lawmakers-to-look-into-contingent-confidential-funds'>Lawmakers to look into contingent, confidential funds in proposed budget</a></li></ul>Documents from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that the Office of the President authorized the transfer of the funds from the P7-billion 2022 contingent fund to the OVP's 2022 confidential fund.Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier asserted that <a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/11/23/ombudsman-no-receipts-needed-for-confidential-funds' target='_blank'>receipts are not needed</a> to liquidate confidential funds. — With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

Lagman said it was important for public officials to be "frugal" in allocating these funds even if they were "entitled" to this. The lawmaker noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Office of the Solicitor-General's (OSG) confidential and intelligence funds were not justified. "Kung kailangan nila (OSG) ng surveillance, bakit hindi i-avail 'yung services ng NBI. Kapares din ng DICT. Kung kailangan nila mag-avail ng services for surveillance purposes, andiyan ang PNP, andiyan ang military, at andiyan ang NBI," he said. "They should avail of these services without getting ang pondo on confidential funds," he said. 2022 confidential fundsThe Makabayan bloc flagged the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) 2022 confidential fund during the budget briefing of the Commission on Audit (COA) earlier this month.The contingent fund is at the center of the controversy regarding OVP's 2022 confidential fund because it was used to fund that confidential expense allegedly without a line item in the 2022 budget.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/17/23/lawmakers-to-look-into-contingent-confidential-funds'>Lawmakers to look into contingent, confidential funds in proposed budget</a></li></ul>Documents from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that the Office of the President authorized the transfer of the funds from the P7-billion 2022 contingent fund to the OVP's 2022 confidential fund.Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier asserted that <a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/11/23/ombudsman-no-receipts-needed-for-confidential-funds' target='_blank'>receipts are not needed</a> to liquidate confidential funds. — With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

"Definitely, the country can go ahead without confidential funds. Pero itong intelligence funds, kailangan ito sa mga ahensya na engaged in gathering intelligence," Lagman said over Teleradyo Serbisyo. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/02/23/marcos-admin-seeks-over-p10-b-surveillance-confi-funds'>Marcos admin seeks over P10 billion in surveillance, confidential funds</a></li></ul>

MANILA — Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman on Saturday said Philippines could live without confidential funds and might operate with limited intelligence funds, amid questions raised on these topics.Confidential expenses refer to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency. These may be used upon the approval of the department secretary.

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman on Saturday said Philippines could live without confidential funds and might operate with limited intelligence funds, amid questions raised on these topics.

Philippines can live without confidential funds: Lagman | ABS-CBN News

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Philippines can live without confidential funds: Lagman

Philippines can live without confidential funds: Lagman