admin 
Ni Estong Reyes
KAILANGAN mapatunayan ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ang pangangailangan nito sa P300 milyong confidential funds sa 2024 sa gitna ng “dismal” budget utilization rate, ayon kay Senador Grace Poe, nitong Huwebes.
“As recipient of the 4th highest confidential fund among all agencies, the burden is on the DICT to prove to us that this is needed. Only then will we decide to recommend their budget request to the plenary,” ayon kay Poe sa text message na ipinamahagi sa reporters.
Isinagawa ni Poe, chairman ng Senate public services committee at principal sponsor ng SIM Registration Act, ang pahayag matapos ikatuwiran ni DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy na kailangan nila ang confidential funds sa pagtugis ng scammers.
“With billions of pesos being lost to scams, there is indeed a pressing need to strengthen our countermeasures against scams and cybercriminals. But at the same time, we would need to study if DICT has the capability to even spend this budget,” paliwanag ni Poe.
Sinabi ni Poe na umabot lamang sa 32.2 porsiyento ang budget utilization rate ng DICT sa 2022 kaya’t “mayroong maliit na pagtitiwala sa tamang paggamit ng pondo.”
“Confidential funds were not consistently granted to DICT but we will ask the Commission on Audit to discuss with us how the P1.2 billion confidential funds were used in the past by the agency,” ayon pa kay Poe.
“During the hearing, we also expect Secretary Uy to be prepared to defend its necessity and commit to follow the guidelines,” dagdag ni Poe.
Maraming senador, partikular ang minority bloc, ang kumukuwestiyon sa confidential funds na hinihingi ng ilang civilian agencies sa ilalim ng 2024 national budget.
Umabot sa 28 ahensiya ang pormal na humingi ng confidential funds sa kanilang 2024 budget, na tumaas mula sa 21 tanggapan noong 2016.
Ayon sa Department of Budget and Management umabot na sa o10.14 bilyon ang halaga ng confidential and intelligence funds na hinihingi ng ilang ahensiya sa panukalang 2024 budget kabilang ang P4.5 billion sa Office of the President (P2.25 billion confidential at P2.31 billion intelligence fund) at P500 million para sa Office of the Vice President.
