‘Any violent reaction?’: OVP submits to Congress’ wisdom, discretion on planned reallocation of CIFs

Vice President Sara Duterte (rightmost, bottom row, sitting) listens to Davao de Oro 1st district Rep, Maria Carmen Zamora’s (standing) defense of the OVP budget for 2024. (Screenshot from YouTube live)

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) will “submit to the wisdom and discretion of Congress” when it comes to the House of Representatives’ intention to reallocate confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) in the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.

OVP budget sponsor, Davao de Oro 1st district Rep, Maria Carmen Zamora had this to say Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 27 during the budget plenary debates in the House of Representatives. Present in plenary and sitting next to Zamora was Vice President Sara Duterte.

Makabayan member ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, the interpellator, had asked Zamora about the OVP’s comment on the Hiuse leadership’s apparent plan to remove CIFs to from “departments and agencies not directly related to protecting the country’s safety and security” and reallocate them to intelligence and surveillance agencies like the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and National Security Council (NSC).

The move is in line with countering the “escalating threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)”, House leaders said in a joint statement earlier Wednesday

“The Office of the Vice President is consistent on its stand since last year and even up to this year that the office submits to the discretion and wisdom of Congress,” Zamora said.

The OVP has been alloted P500 million in confidential funds under next year’s budget. The Department of Education (DepEd), which is headed by Duterte, has been earmarked P150 million under the same spending plan.

The belief in the House is that the OVP and DepEd fall under these departments not concerned with national namely and security.

When Castro asked if the OVP “wouldn’t have any violent reaction” if the confidential funds are removed, Zamora merely paraphrased her initial statement.

“Again, the Office of the President is firm in its stand that they believe that the Office can only propose on how to they will do their job. And as to the approval of the proposed funding and budget, they submit to the wisdom and discretion of Congress.

“Again, the OVP can only propose on how they will do their job,” the Mindanao lawmaker said.

Congress is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. — Ellson Quismorio