The bicameral conference committee on Monday approved the final version of the proposed P5.7680 trillion national budget for next year, without confidential and intelligence funds to non-security agencies.

Senate Finance panel chair Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said the supposed allotted secret funds to civilian agencies were transferred to security agencies.

"It was transferred to the security agencies," Angara told reporters in a chance interview, disclosing that around P9 billion was transferred to the confidential and intelligence funds of security agencies.

"It is less than 0.02 percent of the budget," he said.

For his part, House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co said he is "grateful" to his counterparts in the Senate for not reinstating the proposed confidential and intelligence funds earlier removed by the lower chamber.

"I am thanking the Senate for accepting our request about the confidential funds of civilian agencies. The House of Representatives' will was followed," Co said in a separate interview.

"We are grateful to the whole Senate because they agreed and they proved that there will be no reinstatement of slashed confidential funds in the bicameral conference, especially in the [Department of] Education," he added.

To recall, the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, decided to remove the confidential funds of five civilian agencies, including those led by Vice President Sara Duterte.

During a Senate hearing, Duterte eventually dropped her bid for P650 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds for the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President.

Contingent fund

The bicameral conference committee adopted a special provision by Senator Risa Hontiveros prohibiting the use of contingent funds to increase the secret funds of other agencies.

"It is still there, the banning of the use of the contingent fund. It is still there," Angara said.

So far, he noted that the education, infrastructure and health sectors received the biggest chunk of additional funds.

The Philippine Coast Guard was also given an additional P2 billion amid increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea.

"That is led by Senate President [Juan Miguel] Zubiri. That is the standing order of SP Zubiri: Help our defense forces."

Angara described the 2024 General Appropriations Bill as a "budget for growth to sustain our growth."

"This budget, hopefully, will provide hope to our fellow Filipinos because these are times of uncertainty. There are wars and the tragedy in Marawi. Hopefully, it will help our countrymen," he said.