Both sides of the political spectrum have valid and substantial reasons to either criticize or defend, Vice President Sara Duterte on the issue of confidential funds. Both sides present good arguments worth considering.
For her adversaries, they can rely on the general rule of transparency for all government expenses. On the other hand, her supporters based their arguments on exceptions to this rule, believing that the confidential fund is one such exception.
In numerous press conferences, VP Sara has explained that she has fully cooperated with the Commission on Audit (COA), the appropriate agency tasked with auditing government expenses. She chose not to respond during the House of Representatives hearings because she understood their true objectives --not in aid of legislation, but to impeach her.
Duterte explained that she could not divulge the real identity of the recipients of her confidential funds because doing so could endanger lives. Why is this the case? How does transparency play a role in this situation? How do confidential funds relate to intelligence operations?
With due respect to some experts, let me offer a bird’s-eye view or a simple overview of the COA’s way of auditing. As a general rule, transparency is required in all government spending and transactions. However, there are exceptions to this rule. After all, it is said that for every general rule there is an exception.
To illustrate, consider the budget of next year, which amounts to ?6.3 trillion. Approximately 60% of this budget is allocated to salaries for government employees, enabling the government to function. The remaining 40% is allocated to various projects, departmental budgets, and other expenses, including confidential funds.
Out of the ?6.3 trillion, ?10 billion is allocated to confidential and intelligence funds for next year. The Office of the President has the highest share, with ?4.5B allocated to it, while the remaining amount is distributed among several government agencies with confidential funds.
Why are confidential funds necessary? They are crucial for the security of the state. Confidential funds are used to gather intelligence and, in some cases, to purchase information from those who may pose a threat against the state.
To illustrate this, consider the example of the United States, which allocates significant amounts of money to its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA’s primary role is to gather information from potential enemies of the state. Popular movies like “The Bourne Identity” (starring Matt Damon), “Salt” (with Angelina Jolie) and many more movies that depict intelligence operations, will help us understand that some government activities and expenses are inherently confidential.
But let us move beyond Hollywood and look at reality. In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte announced a reward of ?1 million for information leading to the capture of seven Abu Sayyaf members who were responsible for disrupting the peace in Bohol. These militants had killed three soldiers and a policeman. They were eventually located and neutralized by government forces.
The related questions are: Where did Duterte get that amount? Did it not come from his confidential funds? If so, do we demand full transparency from those who receive the awards, considering that these are people’s taxes? Or, are we considerate enough of their safety to allow them to use codes and aliases instead of their real names?
Likewise, if the congressmen are truly sincere, why did they not investigate other government agencies that also have confidential funds? These include the Mayor’s office, the Governor’s office, the Office of the President, the Department of Agriculture, the DND, AFP, DILG, PNP, the Office of the DILG Secretary, the DOJ, the Office of the DOJ Secretary, the Bureau of Immigration, the NBI, the Office of the Solicitor General, the DSWD, the AMLC, the Office of the Ombudsman, the COA, the CHR, the PDEA, the Games and Amusement Board, among others.
Are they afraid that the people will realize that these agencies, like VP Sara’s office, also use codes and aliases, which is standard in intelligence operations? Are they afraid that the public will learn that VP Sara has not misused her confidential funds?