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

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.

• Pimentel on OVP, DepEd, OSG confidential funds: 'Wag niyo na umpisahan'

During the Senate's plenary deliberation on the OVP'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.

According to Senate Finance panel chair Sen. Sonny Angara, OVP's confidential funds were retained since "there was no motion to increase or decrease the same amount."

But Pimentel said the OVP's confidential funds should be realigned to other agencies with more urgent funding needs.

"Marami tayong nalaman last week na nangangailangan ng funding so nandito naman pala, may mga confidential funds na puwede namang i-let go," he said.

Angara, who was tasked to defend the OVP's budget, disagreed with Pimentel's proposal.

"That's the second highest official of the land who deserves our support. We should want her to succeed," Angara said.

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But Pimentel's legal opinion is that the OVP is "not entitled" to confidential funds, based on the Congress' own definition of such allocation.

Confidential funds are allowed for all civilian agencies for their surveillance and intelligence gathering activities related to their mandate.

"I will maintain na, tayo naman gumawa ng definition ng confidential funds, per our own definition, per Congress' own definition of confidential funds, the OVP is not entitled and should not be given confidential funds," Pimentel said.

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"Pag binasa natin 'yung definition ng confidential funds, hindi nga justifiable, cannot be justified to be lodged under the OVP," he added.

The OVP's proposed 2023 budget was "deemed submitted" to the Senate after less than an hour of deliberation.

However, Pimentel said he will still move for the "deletion" of OVP's confidential funds "at the right time."

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