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December 6, 2022

Hontiveros disappointed in return of CIF in bicam report: Sen. Risa Hontiveros explains her negative vote against the ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report regarding the P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023, Monday, December 5, 2022. According to Hontiveros, the 19th Congress missed an opportunity to assert its independence and failed to demonstrate its 'power of the purse' as slashed confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) were reinstated in full during the Bicameral Conference. "It seems that the protection given to public funds has been dulled by granting in full all the requests for confidential and intelligence funds under the Marcos-Duterte administration. And worse, the legislature agreed to remove provisions that require Congressional reporting of the utilization plan and disbursement of the confidential and intelligence fund," she said. Hontiveros wondered how Congress can be expected to ensure transparency and accountability towards proper handling of public coffers if provisions to require agencies to submit transparency reports to Congress have been taken out of the 2023 General Appropriations Act. "On the account of the full restoration of confidential and intelligence funds, as well as the removal of safeguards on the proper use of the CIF, I regret that I am constrained to vote 'NO' to the Bicameral Conference Committee Report," Hontiveros emphasized. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)

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