MANILA, Philippines - With its measly P1 million intelligence fund this year, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is now seeking a P5 million intelligence fund for next year.
At the hearing on the CHR’s proposed P428.526 million budget for 2016, Commissioner Karen Lucia Gomez Dumpit told the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab that increasing the agency's intelligence fund is among their four budgetary proposals to Congress.
Dumpit said the CHR needs adequate intelligence fund for the quick reaction teams of the agency’s investigators and officials, and to service the immediate protection needs of victims and witnesses of human rights violations.
Dumpit said all that the CHR wants is a small fraction of the enormous intelligence funds of the government.
"We just want a little bit of it which can help in our investigation, information-gathering and quick response while the information we have is still in the field," she said.
Dumpit explained the CHR’s intelligence fund in response to the query of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe on what purpose is it serving.
"When I look at the CHR budget, I realized it’s really meager. I am strongly supporting the budgetary proposals of the agency, including bigger intelligence fund," Batocabe said.
The CHR’s intelligence fund is listed as confidential fund in the agency’s expenditure programs.
Aside from increasing its intelligence fund next year, the CHR urged lawmakers to provide a P7 million lump sum fund under personnel services for contractuals or consultants for the offices of the chairman and commissioners.
The P428.526 million budget of the CHR for 2016 is for the following: P235.428 million for personnel services, P148.689 million for maintenance and other operating expenses, P10,000 for financial expenditures, P24.044 million for capital outlay, P408.171 million for total programs and projects, and P20.355 million for automatic appropriations.