Intelligence and surveillance at DepEd?  

Thirteen minutes. That was all it took for the House to approve the ?2.92-billion 2023 budget of the Office of the Vice President, terminating all deliberations and prompting the almost non-existent opposition to agree. But questions and deliberations will supposedly be asked during the plenary sessions. The budget is a three-fold increase from its 2022 budget but please note the vice president at that time was not “one of them”. Sure, the OVP laid out the projects where the finding will go such as libreng sakay, Pagbabago campaign, OVP food trucks, livelihood programs, medical assistance, and burial assistance. Good projects if I may say so.

But why does the education department which is also headed by the vice president need ?150 million for a confidential fund? Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte defended the budget by saying the funds will be used for good surveillance and intelligence. I normally associate surveillance and intelligence with matters of national security, espionage, or even war, and not with an education department. And don’t we already have several agencies that tackle these issues? Even the OVP itself already has its own confidential fund. Why not use that for its surveillance and intelligence of perceived enemies of the state?

One hundred fifty million pesos will go a long way toward improving the learning experiences of students, especially in the public school sector. Better facilities, better equipment such as chairs and blackboards, proper education material (unbiased and non-disparaging), nutrition by providing some food, and even better bathroom facilities. Don’t tell me all these are trumped by intelligence and surveillance.

Are we already seeing a situation where everything Vice President Durerte asks, she is given without question? What happened to checks and balances? Or was that already non-existent in the last administration? And since we still have a Duterte occupying a very high position in government, a status quo is in effect, with perks and all. ‘Tis truly good to be the king, or queen.

The Senate has yet to present its version of the 2023 budget, but I’m not exactly holding my breath. There is only one true oppositionist in the upper chamber. To wish there would be more discerning, level-headed senators would be asking too much. Gone are the days when only a few senators helped make up the majority. Still, people are always hopeful our elected leaders would do the right thing. Hopeful, not definite. Big difference.