President's Office defends P4.5B confidential, intelligence funds for 2027 budget

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday defended the P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of the Office of the President (OP) in its proposed 2027 budget. According to Recto, the CIF that the Office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is seeking constitutes roughly 45% of its proposed P10.15 billion budget for the next fiscal year. “Number one, the President is the chief executive officer. The President is the head of state, so his first job is to ensure law and order, and diyan ginagastos ‘yung confidential fund (that is where the confidential funds are used),” he said. “With regard to intelligence funds, he is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. ‘Yan naman napakahalaga (that is very important) for our national security,” he added. Under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the OP’s confidential expenses amounted to P2.25 billion, while its intelligence expenses were pegged at P2.31 billion. The agency also sought funding for extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses worth P20.7 million. Recto also allayed concerns regarding the CIF, noting that the OP received an “unmodified opinion” from the Commission on Audit (COA). “‘Yung COA report ng Office of the President is an unmodified opinion---the highest opinion ever for all government agency. Nakikita nila paano ginagastos ng OP and CF at IF,” he explained. (The COA report for the Office of the President showed an unmodified opinion—the highest opinion ever for any government agency. They can see how the OP spends its confidential and intelligence funds.) The Executive Secretary said this in an ambush interview after the House Committee on Appropriations quickly approved the proposed P10.15 billion budget of the OP for fiscal year 2027. With 37 affirmative votes and 5 negative votes, the panel "extended institutional and inter-branch courtesy" to the OP and terminated further discussions and interpellations on its proposed 2027 budget. —LDF, GMA News