House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro has called on the House leadership to expedite the passage of House Bill 7158, known as the Intelligence and Confidential Funds Transparency Bill, which was filed on February 14, 2023.
“Sa dami ng mga isyung sumulpot dahil sa patagong paggamit sa confidential at intelligence funds, marapat na mas gawin itong transparent at mapanagot ang mga opisyal sa na mali itong ginagamit,” stated Rep. Castro, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the opaque utilization of these funds.
“Intelligence blunders are coming left and right. Up till now they have not captured televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, then there is the escape of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo as well as the failure to capture former prisons chief Gerald Bantag. Thru the years hundreds of billions have been poured to intelligence funds but it seems that it has just become a slush fund when it could have been used for education and social services ” she added.
Rep. Castro further highlighted the recurring concerns raised by the Commission on Audit (COA). “The COA has repeatedly noted the main issue in confidential and intelligence funds—they escape genuine audit and public scrutiny, while the ones handling them escape accountability to the taxpayers,” she underscored, pointing out the lack of oversight that has plagued the use of such funds.
The proposed measure seeks to rectify what it describes as an “unconstitutional mode of allocating intelligence and confidential funds that are free from audit, public scrutiny, and official accountability.” This Bill has historical roots, having been initially filed by Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño during the 15th Congress as House Bill No. 4127, and subsequently refiled by Bayan Muna Party-List in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Congresses.
Rep. Castro also called on her fellow legislators to prioritize the bill, noting that its passage is crucial for ensuring that government funds are utilized properly and transparently. “It is high time for the government to rectify this unconstitutional mode of allocating intelligence and confidential funds,” she concluded.
The ACT Teachers Partylist remains committed to promoting transparency and accountability in government spending, urging the swift legislative action needed to safeguard the public’s interest.
