for Confidential and Intelligence Funds
It seems that amidst controversies, authorities are still stubborn in justifying the need for Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIFs). For as news reports talked about both the president and vice president as well as 22 other state agencies having CIFs for next year this shows barefaced corruption using national security as its pretext.
With Marcos jr. got 4.85 billion while Sara Duterte got 650 million of CIFs, this isn’t new as despite popular criticism these authorities justified the need of such funds such as similar to the last Duterte administration with 1.7 billion in 2016 and further to 6.88 billion in 2017- and it is also the same admin when these CIFs used to fund operations “Tokhang” and “Double Barrel” that killed poor folks in the name of “war on drugs”.
And like the past administration justifying the need of CIFs in the pretext of law and order, the current Marcos administration's need for CIFs in both Presidential, Vice Presidential offices and in government departments shows its perchance for actions "that have direct impact on national security." In an instance, Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrently as Education Secretary claims that the need for CIFs means tying Education in the needs of National Security- which obviously includes surveillance and monitoring against critics in the education sector as well as student activists. And it’s quite obvious that her lambasts against left-wing critics as well as her co-chairmanship of the NTFELCAC justifies such actions “requiring the need of billion-peso CIFs”.
But people should recall that last 2022 when Marcos jr. transferred 221.4 million from his presidential contingent fund to the Office of the Vice President, and from this amount the Office of the Vice President allotted 125 million for confidential funds and spent in only 19 days. If one may ask, why the need of such funds when a department, much so an office of the second highest official has nothing to do with surveillance? Or is the office, or a government department being treated as a milking cow for one’s vested interest and to consolidate even further using such funds?
For sure allies in the legislature suddenly got "concerned" on this situation, that they're acting "national interest above all" in reviewing these funds. With words such as 'oversight', 'proper utilisation of funds', and the likes these lawmakers suddenly feigning concern if not denying there is “political accommodation” in the executive’s grant of confidential funds in the National Expenditure Program. But is it enough to appease those who truly concerned? People cannot forget the scandals involving certain public officials and its misuse of public funds several years ago (for sure one would remember Pork Barrel Scams of the Aquino administration)- and now with "confidential" and "intelligence" purposes as alibis, enjoying a much greater shield from public scrutiny. However, the growing preference for CIF appropriations, especially in organizations that have nothing to do with security issues, has really and seriously prompted questions about the responsible use of public funds, transparency, and the standard of governance.
Sorry for the speculation, but this 2023 some would suggest that there is another factor at play in addition to "national security": Barangay chiefs and their subordinates are looking for financial support from local strongmen to maintain their footholds, which then leads to their allies in the national government. This is followed by a few years of midterm elections, during which local and national politicians are looking for support from ruling elected officials, including the President and the Vice President. And it is not surprising that a stash of funds with a variety of "urgently-sounding" names are to be used for consolidating interests of those in power rather than to support and uplift the needs of a growing nation.