Shekinah Jedidiah Alima

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) disclosed on Monday that the Office of the President has proposed a total of P10.29 billion Confidential and Intelligence (CIF) funds for the 2025.

Photo Courtesy of Daily Tribune.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants P4.37 billion to be used for confidential funds, while P5.92 billion for intelligent funds, according to the DBM.

This proposal is 16% lower than the 2024 CIF received with a total of P12.3 billion, as the DBM said that they want to ensure the urgency of these secret funds.

“We just limited to the departments and agencies na nangangailangan ng confidential and intel funds,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said during a press briefing at their central office.

During the ceremonial turnover of the 2025 budget proposal at the House of Representatives, it was revealed that the DBM did not fully grant Marcos’ initial secret fund request of P11.39 billion.

“DBM received a request of P11.39 billion (across government agencies), including P5.22 billion in confidential funds, and P6.17 billion in intelligence funds, but we only approved P10.29 billion,” Pangandaman explained.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who recently resigned from the Marcos cabinet, announced that she does not plan to request any secret fund for her office in the upcoming year.

“For the Office of the Vice President, no, wala kaming proposal ng confidential funds for [next year],” Duterte said in an interview in Cebu.

Marcos’ predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte also used confidential and intelligence funds for his office.

In 2021, these funds amounted to P4.5 billion according to a 2022 report by Commission on Audit (COA), with no detailed allocation for expenditures disclosed.