The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has requested a confidential fund worth P300 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for fiscal year 2024 to combat scammers, Secretary Ivan Uy said on Wednesday.

In a Malacañang Press Briefing, Uy explained that the confidential fund is necessary to conduct intelligence and investigations to apprehend cyber criminals.

Confidential funds pertain to costs associated with surveillance operations within non-military government organizations to assist the agency's mission or functions.

The DICT chief expressed concern over scammers using multiple tactics to evade being identified and apprehended.

Uy underscored that these criminals are well-funded, well-organized, and highly technical.

Hence, he said that DICT needs to match them with the appropriate government capabilities.

"Our hands are tied without the proper tools, and many of these tools and methods require confidential funds to be implemented," Uy said.

The DICT says that it is working with law enforcement agencies to crack down on cybercrime.

However, Uy said that the confidential fund will allow the DICT to take a more proactive approach to combating these crimes.

"We need to be able to gather intelligence and conduct investigations without being hampered by red tape," Uy said. "The confidential fund will allow us to do that," he added.

Joint Circular No. 2015-01, issued on January 8, 2015, by the Commission on Audit and four other government entities, prescribes the guidelines for the utilization and audit of intelligence and confidential funds.

According to records from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the combined allocation for confidential and intelligence funds for the upcoming year amounts to P10.142 billion.

The DBM noted that this figure represents an increase of P120 million compared to the P10.02 billion allocated for the Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) in 2023.