SEN. JV Ejercito on Sunday said confidential and intelligence funds should be restricted to government agencies whose mandates involve law enforcement, intelligence and national security, as the Senate reviews the proposed P7.2 trillion national budget for 2027.
Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said limiting the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds to agencies with appropriate mandates would help address controversies surrounding their use.
“Let’s keep it simple. Confidential and intelligence funds should be limited to agencies whose mandate is law enforcement, intelligence, and national security,” Ejercito said in a radio interview. “While we respect the need for confidentiality where national security and legitimate operations are concerned, it is part of the duty of government to protect the public from any security risk,” he added.
He emphasized that confidentiality should not be interpreted as exemption from accountability.
“Confidential fund does not mean unaccountable. It doesn’t mean that because it is a confidential fund, it should no longer have accountability,” he said.
The senator said the government must strike a balance between protecting legitimate security operations and ensuring that public funds are properly used.
“We have to strike a balance between security and accountability, or the responsible use of this part [of public funds],” he added.
On whether the Commission on Audit (COA) should be asked to provide a final ruling on issues involving confidential funds, Ejercito said the constitutional body must be respected while the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is ongoing.
He also invoked the sub judice rule, particularly following a recent ruling by Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
He said that the Senate’s budget hearings should not be used to discuss factual matters or evidence that form part of the impeachment case.
Ejercito said the Senate should focus on establishing stronger safeguards for confidential funds moving forward.
“What is important now is not just to revisit the issues that happened in the past, but we also have to ask: What are the safeguards for the funds? How can we make sure that every confidential fund is properly authorized, properly used and properly accounted for?” he said.
Ejercito said questions concerning Col. Raymund Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco, former officials of Duterte’s security detail, and the alleged destination of confidential funds could potentially arise during the budget season, but he declined to comment further on matters directly connected to the impeachment case.
