How secret are CIFs?

Disclosing details about these activities could compromise ongoing operations or endanger the individuals involved.

Confidential and intelligence funds have been the buzzword since the budget season started in late August. It snowballed after Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was pressed to explain how the Office of the Vice President spent the P125-million Confidential and Intelligence Fund (transferred from the Office of the President contingent fund).

As it became a highly debated topic — legislators like Senator Risa Hontiveros and Makabayan bloc members in the Lower House sought disclosure on the use of confidential funds to the public. Close to wrapping up the budget deliberations last week, the OVP and the Department of Education may lose their CIF requests in the 2024 budget as several solons agreed to realign them to the security operations of agencies that need them most.

In a nutshell, arguments were in favor of transparency and against it. The decision will ultimately depend on the specific circumstances and the policies in practice.

CIFs typically refer to discretionary funds allocated for specific purposes within an organization or government agency. Usually intended for confidential or sensitive activities requiring secrecy or discretion, the purpose of secret funds varies widely depending on the organization. Still, some common examples include intelligence gathering, covert operations, paying confidential informants, and other clandestine activities.

Regarding national security, using CIFs may be related to sensitive national security matters. Disclosing details about these activities could compromise ongoing operations or endanger the individuals involved.

Former National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr.’s explanation of where CIFs are used is clear enough.

CIFs are not exclusive to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. Civilian agencies also use them for counter-intelligence — protection of personal documents and communications; and intelligence operations — use of human intelligence, technical intelligence, and other ways of collecting information.

The CIFs, the former AFP chief said, are significant in maintaining the people’s allegiance to the government and safeguarding against potential espionage and threats from within the state.

Equally appalling as the laxity of some government agencies in recruiting people who are supposed to be fit for the job, whose loyalty is to the people and not to overthrow the government, is the recruitment of young students and out-of-school youth to the communist cause.

It, therefore, coheres that teachers’ loyalty to the Department of Education and their commitment to enhancing learning capabilities and development of the youth should be beyond doubt.

Who needs teachers who lead in recruiting young minds to be radicalized?

Imposing a mandatory disclosure on the use of CIFs is synonymous with informing enemies of the state of the government’s plans against them, which could potentially impede the efficacy of specific operations.

It pays to understand that some security endeavors necessitate a certain degree of secrecy to accomplish goals.

As long as the allocation, management, and purposes of CIFs are subject to specific laws, regulations, and internal policies, there should be no fear of misuse, corruption, or unethical behavior by those entrusted with managing the funds.

The last time we checked, the dictionary had not made revisions to the definition of confidential. It still is an adjective that means “intended to be kept secret or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class.”

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