AUGUST 8, 2011

NR # 2489

House leader questions meager P18M intelligence fund of NBI

A House leader has questioned the meager P18-million intelligence fund being proposed by the Executive Department for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) next year. Deputy Speaker Crispin Remulla questioned the NBIs small intelligence budget during the recent 2012 national budget briefing, which was attended by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando Tetangco and other government officials. How do you expect them to do their job at the NBI with only an P18 million intelligence fund? It is the NBIs job to look after so many things in our country. I hope youll be looking at this so you can rationalize the intelligence fund throughout the executive department, Remulla said. While the NBI is in dire need of additional intelligence fund or properly referred to as confidential and intelligence expenses (CIE), he said some local government units have been abusing the intelligence fund system. The NBI, whose primary mission is to provide quality investigative and forensic services to the people through advanced methods and equipment in the pursuit of truth and justice, has been allotted an P18 million annual intelligence fund since 2010. The NBIs proposed budget for the next year amounts to P842.559 million, up from its budget of P784.533 million this year. Abad did not elaborate on the reason for the small intelligence budget of the NBI, but he said changes are now being made to ensure the CIE is being properly used by concerned agencies. For one, Abad said agencies without intelligence activity or capacity will no longer be provided with CIE. Secondly, the DBM is working closely with the Commission on Audit to do away with the policy of allowing mere certification to justify the use of CIE according to him. Under Section 20 of the General Provisions of the 2011 General Appropriations Act (GAA) pertaining to Confidential and Intelligence Funds, no amount in the GAA shall be released or disbursed for confidential and intelligence activities unless approved by the President, or specifically identified and authorized as such confidential or intelligence fund in the law. It further provides that at least 80 percent of confidential and intelligence funds shall be used for field operations. All departments, bureaus, offices or agencies shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate President, and Chairman of the COA, a quarterly report on the accomplishments in the use of confidential and intelligence funds, copy furnished the Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on Appropriations based on the provision. (30) rbb