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OVP 'not entitled' to receive confidential funds per Congress' definition: Pimentel

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Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Sen. Koko Pimentel and Vice President Sara Duterte. Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB/composite file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/11/14/11142022-ovp-not-entitled-have-confidential-funds.jpg"/><figcaption>Sen. Koko Pimentel and Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB/composite file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said Monday that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is not entitled to receive confidential funds amid debates over its proposed 2023 budget. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/09/22/pimentel-on-ovp-deped-osg-confidential-funds-wag-niyo-na-umpisahan">Pimentel on OVP, DepEd, OSG confidential funds: &#x27;Wag niyo na umpisahan&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>During the Senate&#x27;s plenary deliberation on the OVP&#x27;s proposed P2.92 billion budget next year, Pimentel once again protested the P500 million confidential fund granted given to the office led by Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>According to Senate Finance panel chair Sen. Sonny Angara, OVP&#x27;s confidential funds were retained since &quot;there was no motion to increase or decrease the same amount.&quot;</p><p>But Pimentel said the OVP&#x27;s confidential funds should be realigned to other agencies with more urgent funding needs.</p><p>&quot;Marami tayong nalaman last week na nangangailangan ng funding so nandito naman pala, may mga confidential funds na puwede namang i-let go,&quot; he said.</p><p>Angara, who was tasked to defend the OVP&#x27;s budget, disagreed with Pimentel&#x27;s proposal.</p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s the second highest official of the land who deserves our support. We should want her to succeed,&quot; Angara said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/06/22/dbm-chief-defends-confidential-intel-funds-for-deped-others">&#x27;Cabinet approved it&#x27;: DBM chief defends confidential, intel funds for DepEd, others</a></li></ul><p>But Pimentel&#x27;s legal opinion is that the OVP is &quot;not entitled&quot; to confidential funds, based on the Congress&#x27; own definition of such allocation. </p><p>Confidential funds are allowed for all civilian agencies for their surveillance and intelligence gathering activities related to their mandate.</p><p>&quot;I will maintain na, tayo naman gumawa ng definition ng confidential funds, per our own definition, per Congress&#x27; own definition of confidential funds, the OVP is not entitled and should not be given confidential funds,&quot; Pimentel said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/10/22/why-seek-confidential-funds-in-the-middle-of-a-crisis-koko">&#x27;Why seek confidential funds in the middle of a crisis?&#x27; - Koko</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Pag binasa natin &#x27;yung definition ng confidential funds, hindi nga justifiable, cannot be justified to be lodged under the OVP,&quot; he added.</p><p>The OVP&#x27;s proposed 2023 budget was &quot;deemed submitted&quot; to the Senate after less than an hour of deliberation.</p><p>However, Pimentel said he will still move for the &quot;deletion&quot; of OVP&#x27;s confidential funds &quot;at the right time.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><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=2266080" 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>

Sen. Koko Pimentel said he will still move for the deletion of OVP's confidential funds 'at the right time.'

OVP 'not entitled' to receive confidential funds per Congress' definition: Pimentel

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OVP 'not entitled' to receive confidential funds per Congress' definition: Pimentel

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 14, 2022 07:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

senator

2023 budget

NEP

budget hearing

Koko Pimentel

Sonny Angara

OVP

confidential funds

Sara Duterte

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