ISANG kaalyado ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang nagpahayag ng pagtutol sa paglalagay ng confidential fund sa tanggapan ni Vice President Sara Duterte.

Ipinahayag ni Atty. Melvin Matibag, na naging Cabinet secretary ng Duterte administration ang kanyang opinyon sa isang artikulo sa pahayag.

“I am against the Office of the Vice President being allocated the CIFs because the Vice President has no duty under the Constitution that requires them to secure our common defense. I have nothing against Vice President Sara Duterte. I am just against civilian agencies being accorded with secret funds,” ani Matibag.

“Necessarily, I am against the DepEd, the DTI, DoTr, and other civilian departments being allocated with CIFs. It should strictly be allocated only to civilian agencies with defense duties, national security, law enforcement, and operations responsibilities,” dagdag pa nito.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang 2024 budget, ang OVP ay mayroong P500 milyong confidential fund. Ang Department of Education (DepEd) na pinamumunuan din ni VP Sara ay mayroon namang P150 milyong confidential fund.

Ipinatanggol ng dating Pangulo ang hiling na pondo ng kanyang anak.

Nagdesisyon ang Kamara de Representantes na alisan ng confidential fund ang mga civilian agency at ilipat ito sa mga ahensya na may direktang mandato sa pagbibigay ng pambansang seguridad at kapayapaan at kaayusan ng bansa.

Ayon sa ulat ng Commission on Audit, nagamit ng tanggapan ni VP Sara ang P125 milyong confidential fund na ibinigay dito noong 2022 sa loob ng 11 araw o P11.36 milyon kada araw na kinukuwestyon ng ilang mambabatas.

Sinabi ni Matibag na tama lamang na ang lagyan ng confidential at intelligence fund (CIF) ay ang mga ahensya na ang pangunahing trabaho ay proteksyunan ang bansa at panatiling ang kapayapaan nito.

“They should be allocated with definitive standards and parameters, such as the degree of threats, the value of tools needed, etc. Of course, the President, as the commander-in-chief, is necessarily afforded the fund,” sabi pa ni Matibag.

Tutol din ang dating opisyal ng administrasyong Duterte na magkaroon ng CIF ang mga lokal na pamahalaan.

“I saw a chart of the LGUs that allocated for themselves the use of confidential funds, and it was really bothersome. There should be no secrecy in spending the LGUs’ budget. Every item should be open for audit and properly liquidated as the regular funds,” sabi pa ng naging opisyal ng Duterte administration.

“I get that there is the element of maintaining peace and order in local communities by local executives. But indeed, maintaining peace and order in the town or province is part and parcel of the duty and responsibility of the local government executive. They do not need a secret fund to do that job,” dagdag pa nito.

Pinaiimbestigahan ng Makabayan bloc ang halos P3 bilyong confidential fund ng Davao City government mula 2017 hanggang 2023.