Republic Act No. 3019 (The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) is the main anti-corruption law.

It
enumerates certain acts of public officers that constitute graft or corrupt practices, or which may lead
thereto, as follows:

PERSONAL or OFFICIAL?
Malacañang should stick to the F1 event being an “OFFICIAL” state visit and disclose how
much was spent and why the congressmen were included. Otherwise, they could violate the
Freedom of Information Law. This trip cannot be accounted as one among BBM’s confidential
fund activities because it does not merit secrecy. Also, as an “official state visit”, why did he
leave his economic team back home?
On the other hand, if the expensive trip was “PERSONAL”, then, these public officials violated
Republic Act 6713. It states that “Public officials and employees and their families shall lead
modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or
ostentatious display of wealth in any form.”
Yes, mahirap maging isang public official. It’s not for everyone. For one, your salary is paid for
by taxpayers; and the huge budget at your disposal is also paid for by your constituents.
Public funds. Public trust.
Thus, the mandate of MODESTY. kahinhinan

A 2015 joint circular between the Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), Department of the Interior and Local Government, Governance
Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) and the Department of
National Defense laid down guidelines on confidential and intelligence funds.

Confidential and intelligence funds are lump sum allocations set aside in the national budget for
expenses that involve surveillance and intelligence information gathering activities.

As its name suggests, confidential funds are for confidential expenses related to surveillance
activities in civilian government agencies that are intended to support their mandate or
operations.

Similarly, intelligence funds are for intelligence expenses related to information gathering
activities of uniformed and military personnel and intelligence practitioners that have direct
impact on national security.

How are confidential and intelligence funds audited?

Due to the nature of these funds, auditing them could be quite difficult as the COA is left to trust
whatever NGAs, local governments and GOCCs submit for them to countercheck.

But the 2015 joint circular provides that NGAs, local governments and GOCCs should prepare a
physical and financial plan supporting their request for confidential and/or intelligence funds
containing the estimated amount per project, activity and program.

What's next? 
Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns over the utilization of these lump sum amounts
which some have even likened to “pork barrel,” which was declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court in 2013.

The offices of Marcos and Sara Duterte have defended these allocations, saying they are
necessary for programs relating to national security.

But some lawmakers like Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) are not convinced.

“The OVP is not a surveillance agency and has no jurisdiction over matters of national security,”
Lagman said in a statement on Monday.

Lagman and other opposition lawmakers plan to realign the confidential and intelligence funds
from these offices, which will prove to be a gargantuan challenge in a legislature dominated by a
supermajority of Marcos allies.