“Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 3) — The Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives on Friday terminated the briefing for the proposed ₱8.2-billion budget of President Rodrigo Duterte’s office for 2022. ₱4.5 billion of the Office of the President’s budget request is for intelligence and confidential funds” (CNN Philippines – ‘House terminates briefing for ₱8.2-billion 2022 budget for Duterte’s office’ 03.09.2021).
In December 2020 President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the Congress to look into the usage of the confidential funds in the 2021. Now, there is yet another questionable move, as the Office of the President has another budget post on the National Budget, which is for intelligence and confidential funds.
When the President haven’t allowed the committee and inquiries into the previous spending of these billions of pesos. You can wonder…. What is he spending this money on? Is this spend on his side-dishes? Is this the porkies of the budget and the ones used for “private projects”?
It is also striking that he gets these funds in his final year as President and as his the Vice Presidential candidate for PDP-Laban. In my mind… these funds could easily go to campaigning and greasing the wheels. This would be a nice war-chest for a campaign and paying a team to secure another office.
What is also striking for a man that is speaking so publicly about anti-corruption and red-tape. A man who is supposed to be against greed and misuse of office. The President usually use these methods to strike at his enemies. However, here is a budget post made for open corruption with no accountability or transparency. That’s why this can go to his baby-mama’s, side-dishes and build another story on his private resident in Mindanao.
Let’s be clear, if the President wanted to be honest and sincere. He wouldn’t have vetoed the same funds last year. Now, the committee isn’t allowed to look into similar funds of next year. Meaning, he could spend these billions of pesos recklessly and whatever he deems fit. It is confidential and the Congress isn’t allowed to get the audits of it either.
Duterte could easily use this to boost his campaign or secure the VP seat. That’s how it looks to me… as he has a fountain of money and nobody can look into it. It is confidential and at bay for whatever things he see fit.
It is naturally to question this and the need for it in this manner. Why can’t the AFP or any agency need these funds more? Can’t the military intelligence or agencies allocate or appropriate the funds for this without the privy of the President before the possible usage of it. That just seems like a wasted hurdle and a way of disbursing funds to complicate the end-game.
President Duterte should be open about it, if his not … I will claim it is for his “war-chest” and preparation for the up-coming elections. If not it is for his side-dishes or secret affairs, which he doesn’t want the general public to know about. Because, why should he need to veto it and now they are not allowed to discuss it.
That just shows to me that something is up and these funds are not spent in the interest of the Filipino people. If they were than there would be nothing to hide or shield the public from. The President acts like there is hidden skeletons in the closet and he doesn’t want anyone to see them. Peace.
MinBane 