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Lawmaker: Some agencies yet to liquidate confidential, intel funds; auditors ‘severely undermanned’

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RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Rep. Stella Quimbo holds a press conference , February 12, 2020. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/09/25/20200212-house-minority-presscon-md-6744.jpg"/><figcaption>Rep. Stella Quimbo holds a press conference , February 12, 2020. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Some agencies entitled to confidential and intelligence funds have yet to comply with the liquidation requirements of the Commission on Audit (COA) and the office assigned to monitor compliance is &quot;severely undermanned&quot;, a lawmaker said Monday. </p><p>House Appropriations Committee Senior Vice Chairperson Stella Quimbo said the 2022 liquidation reports of 5 agencies for their surveillance funds were &quot;still for audit and verification.&quot; </p><p>These include the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Games and Amusements Board, finance department, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, she said. </p><p>&quot;In other words, at this point in time di pa po natin masasabi na compliant na po sila (we can&#x27;t say yet if they are compliant),&quot; the Marikina second district representative said. </p><p>&quot;Let me clarify, there are 28 percent that had submitted liquidation reports but are still being audited at the moment and therefore still under verification.&quot; </p><p>In 2021, only the AMLC &quot;had zero compliance, meaning [it] had no submission,&quot; Quimbo added. </p><p>Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman said this was unacceptable. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s now 2023. How, why is that there is such delay in the compliance of these agencies having confidential and intelligence fund? Don&#x27;t you think that [there] should be an amendment to the circular or a provision in the general special provision that compliance should be made within one year from the disbursement of the fund?&quot; Lagman said. </p><p>Quimbo said the COA&#x27;s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Auditing Unit (ICFAU) is tasked to monitor compliance with the liquidation requirements. </p><p>&quot;At the moment, ang isang prublema this office is actually severely undermanned,&quot; she said. &quot;Ideally staffing for this office must consist of 27 people, but at the moment 9 na lang po sila... Marami po sa kanila napa-pirate.&quot; </p><p>(One problem is this office is actually severely undermanned... Many of them are being pirated.)</p><p>If Congress reduces confidential and intelligence funds in the 2024 budget, there is no need to augment staffing for the ICFAU, Quimbo said. </p><p>&quot;But in case Congress decides to more or less retain the same amount of total CI funds, they&#x27;re crying for help. Napakaliit po, napakakaunti po ng staff nila ngayon. And ang totoo po niyan is they&#x27;re borrowing staff from other units within the COA in order to keep up with the monitoring needs for this very important unit,&quot; Quimbo said.</p><p>The ICFAU receives reports on confidential and intelligence funds from 1,707 local governments, 57 national government agencies, and 10 government-owned and controlled corporation, she noted.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/14/23/confidential-intel-funds-intact-in-house-panel-approved-2024-budget">Confidential, intel funds retained under House panel-approved 2024 budget</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/11/23/ombudsman-no-receipts-needed-for-confidential-funds">Ombudsman says no receipts needed for confidential funds</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IAXl7EVD0ms?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>PENALTIES? </strong></div><p>Quimbo said &quot;there are no penalties&quot; for non-compliance with reportorial requirements under the current rules. </p><p>&quot;Then [does] the errant goes scot-free under the present system? I don&#x27;t need an answer to that because it is obvious since there is no penalty,&quot; Lagman said.</p><p>In her sponsorship speech, Quimbo proposed that the House create a special oversight committee on confidential and intelligence funds, which will have complete access to the reports submitted to Congress</p><p>&quot;With this special oversight committee in place, COA can be assured of a partner in its bid for transparency in the use of confidential and intelligence funds,&quot; Quimbo said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/13/23/sc-interpretation-sought-to-settle-confidential-funds-issue">Supreme Court interpretation sought to settle confidential funds issue</a></li></ul><p>Quimbo also pushed for &quot;a more accurate definition&quot; of confidential funds and a reportorial requirement for any transfer of surveillance funds. </p><p>Lagman proposed limiting who gets confidential or intelligence funds. </p><p>&quot;If [their] mandate does not include the utilization of confidential or intelligence funds, then such agency should not get any appropriations for confidential and intelligence funds,&quot; he said. </p><p>Agencies utilizing confidential funds are mandated by the General Appropriations Act to submit to the President of the Philippines and both Houses of Congress a quarterly report on the accomplishments in the use of surveillance funds.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/25/23/lawmaker-ovp-spent-2022-confidential-funds-in-11-days-coa-seeks-more-explanation">OVP spent 2022 confidential funds in 11 days, says lawmaker; COA seeks more explanation</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2810733" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Some agencies entitled to confidential and intelligence funds have yet to comply with the liquidation requirements, a lawmaker said. 

Lawmaker: Some agencies yet to liquidate confidential, intel funds; auditors ‘severely undermanned’

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Lawmaker: Some agencies yet to liquidate confidential, intel funds; auditors ‘severely undermanned’

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2023 04:22 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 25, 2023 05:17 PM PHT

Read More:

surveillance funds

confidential intelligence funds

2024 budget

national budget

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