ABANTE DEFENDS PBBM’S CONFIDENTIAL FUNDS, CITES COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ROLE

Abante defended the proposed confidential and intelligence funds of the Office of the President as Congress began scrutiny of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

“I think we have to remember that the President is also the commander in chief of the Armed Forces. Therefore, he has all the right to have a confidential fund,” Abante said during an online press briefing.

The Office of the President is seeking P4.55 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for 2027, unchanged from 2026. The amount consists of P2.25 billion in confidential funds and P2.3 billion in intelligence funds.

Government-wide, the proposed confidential and intelligence fund allocation stands at P10.773 billion, down 8.8 percent from P11.818 billion this year. Of the proposed amount, P4.368 billion is for confidential funds and P6.405 billion for intelligence funds.

Abante made the statement after Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sen. JV Ejercito said confidential and intelligence funds should be limited to agencies whose mandates involve law enforcement, intelligence and national security.

Abante said the Office of the President falls squarely within that justification, citing President Marcos’ national security responsibilities as commander-in-chief and the threats he faces as the country’s chief executive.

One such alleged threat is the subject of Article IV of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment.

The prosecution presented an authenticated video of Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 online press conference in which she said she had instructed someone to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez if she herself were killed.

“Palagay ko naman alam na po natin bilang commander-in- chief ng Armed Forces, bilang siya rin po ang subject ng mga threat, especially ng Vice President. Aba, eh kinakailangan po naman na meron po talagang confidential fund ang ating Pangulo,” Abante said.

Abante stressed, however, that presidential confidential funds must still be properly used and accounted for.

“Kinakailangan po nating malaman lamang paano gagamitin ’yan, saan gagamitin ’yan,” he said.

Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V agreed, saying the key is ensuring that confidential funds are properly spent and established processes are followed.

“Importante kung merong nailaan o naibigay na pondo, dapat tama po ’yung paggamit, tama ’yung pinuntahan, at tama po ’yung proseso na sinusunod,” Ortega said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has said confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program were limited to agencies legally authorized to perform confidential and intelligence functions. The funds remain subject to existing budgeting, utilization, liquidation and auditing rules.

Abante said Congress would scrutinize the Office of the President’s budget just as it would other agencies.

“Ganoon naman talaga ang gawain ng Kongreso, to scrutinize whoever it might be, whether it be the President, the Vice President,” he said.