A bill regulating the use of government secret funds was filed at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Filed by Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua and members of the House good government committee, House Bill (HB) No. 11192 seeks to prevent the unauthorized use of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) by limiting it to agencies concerned with national security concerns.
“What we submitted limits the agencies that have nothing to do with national security, peace and order, and intelligence gathering [operations],” Mr. Chua said in a media briefing in Filipino.
The good government panel forwarded the proposed law after a series of hearings into the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in CIF funds by Vice-President Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio under the Office of the Vice-President (OVP) in 2022 and the Education department in 2023, when she sat as its secretary.
The OVP did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
HB No. 11192 seeks to prohibit the use of secret funds for operations “not directly related to peace and order or intelligence gathering” programs.
The measure also revokes the confidential status of secret funds if state auditors flag doubtful spending by issuing a notice of disallowance. “The CF (Confidential Fund), including all the information and documents related thereto shall then be subject to inquiries and investigations, with documents and related information to be made public, without need of compulsory processes.”
Officials who violate the bill would be permanently barred from holding public office, with their benefits being forfeited. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
