Congress intends to cut confidential funds, or CF, from several government agencies that should not be devoted to security and intel agencies tasked to safeguard the country's territory in the West Philippine Sea.

One of the strong opponents and critics of the CF, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, in an interview on Saturday, said the CF should also be reallocated to basic agencies like education, labor, agriculture, health and other social services.

"I am not opposed to reallocating it to the agencies that protect the Philippine interest in the West Philippine Sea, but not too much," the veteran lawmaker said.

Some portion of the multi-million CF of the government under the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024, Lagman said, should also be realigned to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation or AICS, which will be beneficial to many Filipinos who are economically disadvantage.

Add to DoLE funds

The reallocation of the CF could also augment the funds of the Department of Labor and Employment's emergency employment program, Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers or TUPAD, and the Department of Health's medical assistance program for the indigent sector, according to Lagman.

"Let's not pour it all into agencies related to the West Philippine Sea," he said.

The issue of realigning the CF has been in the spotlight for the last few weeks, which compelled the House of Representatives to strip it off from several civilian agencies, including the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Vice President Sara Duterte governs.

Duterte sought P2.395 billion for OVP and P758.6 billion for DepEd under the proposed national spending plan of the Marcos administration for next year, including P500 million and P150 million in confidential funds, respectively.

The multi-million grant of CF to OVP, DepEd, and other numerous civilian agencies had led to intense debates in the House, with some lawmakers, particularly the opposition, arguing that these offices have nothing to do with surveillance.