Bato backs VP Duterte analogy on confidential funds: She has a point

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Sunday expressed his support to Vice President Sara Duterte after the latter labeled the critics of her confidential funds as "enemies of peace."

"She has a point because you can see that those who are eager to oppose the confidential funds are those identified as leftists," Dela Rosa said in a radio interview.

"They are allies of the leftists. Who will be hit by the confidential funds if it were utilized? We know that Vice President Sara will use it against the leftist groups because she doesn't want the youth to be recruited by the New People's Army," he added.

He issued the remarks after Duterte was heavily criticized for her strongly worded statement against the critics of her confidential funds last week.

"Whoever is against confidential funds is against peace. Whoever is against peace is an enemy of the state," she said.

Duterte, who heads the OVP and Department of Education, is requesting a total of P650 million worth of confidential funds for the two agencies, P500 million and P150 million, respectively.

Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police under the administration of the vice president's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, underscored the importance of the allocation of confidential funds to the younger Duterte's offices.

"[T]he recruitments starts in schools, especially in senior high school. That is where recruitment starts. When they reach college level, that is when they will become full-fledged members," he said.

"They will now join the underground organization until you see them dead in the mountains after encounters with security forces," he added.

Dela Rosa said that the proposed removal of confidential funds to Duterte's offices is not a problem for him, but he would prefer it not to be removed.

"The decision is now up to the legislators. If ever we will reach that point, we will see the outcome of the voting," he said.

"But for me, as I said, I have no problems if it will be removed. But it would be better if it will be retained," he added.

Last month, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said the upper chamber will follow the House of Representatives' plan to reallocate confidential and intelligence funds in government agencies involved in protecting the country's sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea such as the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Under the proposed P.768-trillion National Expenditure Program for next year, a total of P9.2 billion was allocated for confidential and intelligence funds of government agencies and offices.