P6.2 B in intelligence funds allocated to OP

A hefty P6.176 billion has been allocated as intelligence and discretionary funds to the Office of the President (OP) and other key security agencies in the proposed P1.126-trillion national budget for 2007 submitted yesterday to Congress for approval.

Documents showed Malacañang is seeking P1 billion in calamity funds, higher than the P700 million it got under the re-enacted 2005 national budget.

But the request for "contingent fund" remained the same at P800 million, on the same level in the virtually rejected proposed P1.053-trillion budget for this year.

The OP itself is seeking an allocation of P3.895 billion, or a slightly higher outlay compared to the P3.6 billion granted by Congress in 2005.

The proposed OP budget already includes a request for some P650 million in "confidential" or "intelligence" funds, the bulk of which would be earmarked for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

Under the proposed OP budget, the PAOCC would get P577.7 billion, which is slightly higher than the previous P568.9-billion allocation.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, was allocated P270 million in intelligence funds, which remained unchanged from last year’s national budget.

The PNP actually sustained a cut in intelligence fund allocation in 2005 from P327 million.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines was earmarked P89 million in intelligence funds, P11 billion higher than the previous P78 million.

The Department of National Defense (DND)’s proposed appropriation for intelligence was pegged at P111 million, slightly lower than last year’s P111.5 million.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. submitted yesterday to Congress the proposed expenditure program for next year, which he described as "payback" to taxpayers already burdened by high taxes and rising fuel costs.

The Department of Education (DepEd) got the highest budget allocation with P134.7 billion or 13.1 percent higher than in the proposed 2006 budget of P119.1 billion.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) came in second with P73.6 billion, or 18 percent higher.

The DND was third at P54.5 billion, reflecting an increase of 5.5 percent to include financing the Armed Forces Modernization Program.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was given the fourth largest allocation at P51.1 billion, or 12.1 percent higher compared to its proposed budget for 2006.

The Department of Agriculture came in fifth with an 18.5 percent increase to P18.5 billion.

The Department of Transportation and Communications, on the other hand, was allocated P17.5 billion or an increase of 22.8 percent.

Ranking seventh in terms of allocation is the Department of Health with P11.7-billion budget, reflecting an increase of 10.1 percent.

The Department of Agrarian Reform followed with an allocation of P11 billion, or an increase of 3.1 percent.

Coming in for the first time in the top 10 agencies in terms of allocations is the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with P9.8 billion in its proposed budget, reflecting a 199.1 percent increase compared to what it was supposed to get this year or P3.3 billion.