President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends the Oath-Taking Ceremony of the Newly Promoted Generals and Flag Officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the Ceremonial Hall inside Malacañan Palace on December 4, 2024. Santi San Juan, PPA pool/File

MANILA -- The Office of the President under Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent P4.57 billion in confidential and intelligence expenses in 2023, according to the Commission on Audit Annual Financial Report.

COA said the OP is the top spender of confidential and intelligence funds in 2023.

The OP's CIE expenses of P4.57 billion last year is slightly higher than the P4.51 billion in 2022.

Of the total, P2.2 billion was for confidential expenses, P2.3 billion was listed for intelligence expenses and P10,052,747.65 was for extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses.

"The Office of the President remained to post the highest amount of confidential expenses, maintaining the same level as last year," the report read.

"Confidential expenses are expenses related to surveillance/confidential activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency," it added.

The Department of Justice ranked second in the top spenders of confidential funds, amounting to P683.85 million. The figure includes expenses from the Office of the Secretary, National Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Immigration.

Up next is the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which spent P500 million.

The agencies included in the top spenders of confidential expenses are:

    - Office of the Vice President (P375 million)

    - National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (P127.41 million)

    - National Security Council (P90 million)

    - Department of National Defense (P78.92 million)

    - Department of Interior and Local Government (P75 million)

The breakdown of the COA showed that the OVP spent more confidential funds than the NICA, NSC and NBI combined.

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The House Committee on Good Government is looking into the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the OVP and Department of Education under the leadership of VP Sara Duterte in 2022 and 2023.

Duterte is facing two impeachment complaints on allegations of corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes linked to the alleged misuse of public funds of her agencies.

The Vice President has previously denied misuse of confidential funds of the agencies.

INTELLIGENCE FUNDS

The COA reported that the OP also spent the most intelligence funds in 2023.

It spent P2.31 billion or 38.72% of the total P6.03 billion including all agencies.

"Intelligence expenses, on the other hand, are expenses related to intelligence information gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel, and intelligence practitioners that have direct impact to national security," the report read.

COA said the release of intelligence funds is subject to the President's approval.

Other agencies with notable intelligence fund expenses:

    - Department of National Defense (P2.25 billion)

    - Philippine National Police (P936.6 million)

    - National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (P522.71 million)

The figure of the DND includes intelligence expenses of the General Headquarters-Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and the Office of the Secretary.

It can be noted that the intelligence expenses of the Navy (P40.42 million), Air Force (P17 million) and Air Force (P11.9 million) pale in comparison with other agencies, despite its operations and mandate in security.

The government spent a total of P10.443 billion in confidential and intelligence expenses last year. This is P685.65 million higher than the P9.757 billion spent in 2022.

Confidential fund spending increased from P3.85 billion in P4.42 billion in 2023.

Intelligence expenses, meanwhile, went from P5.9 billion in 2022 to P6 billion in 2023. 

Both chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, did not have CIE allocations in 2023. 

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