MARCOS ADMIN PROPOSE ₱10.77-B CONFIDENTIAL, INTEL FUNDS FOR 2026

The administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is proposing over ₱10 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) under the Fiscal Year 2026 ₱6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“For the 2026 NEP, the total for confidential and intelligence funds is ₱10.77 billion,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said during a press conference after the proposed national budget was submitted to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The proposed CIF for 2026 is lower than the ₱12.1 billion allocated under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“Ito po ay bumababa from the GAA ng ₱1.35 billion or 11.18%,” Pangandaman noted.

Of the total, ₱4.386 billion is allocated for confidential funds, while ₱6.398 billion is for intelligence funds.

Confidential funds cover surveillance-related expenses of civilian government agencies, while intelligence funds are intended for information-gathering activities of the military, uniformed personnel, and other intelligence agencies tasked with safeguarding national security.

The Office of the President (OP) will receive the largest share of the CIF at ₱4.5 billion, followed by the Department of National Defense with ₱1.848 billion. The total proposed OP budget for 2026 is ₱27.362 billion, up from ₱15.9 billion this year.

“Then other executive offices including the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Games and Amusement Board, NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency), National Security Council, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Reconciliation and Unity, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency—will get ₱2.292 billion,” Pangandaman said.

NICA will receive the bulk of this at ₱1.471 billion. Other offices such as the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman are allocated ₱10 million and ₱51 million in CIF, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will again have no CIF allocation under the 2026 NEP. The OVP earlier said it did not request such funds.

Last year, the House slashed the OVP budget from a proposed ₱2 billion to ₱733 million after Vice President Sara Duterte refused to answer lawmakers’ questions on budget use, including CIF. For 2026, the OVP’s proposed budget is ₱902.895 million.

House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing said the allocation will be scrutinized.

“On our side, on the part of the House, we’ll assess it [CIF] based on… general provisions there are certain agencies and offices that are allowed to have confidential and intelligence funds based on necessity primarily those engaged in national security and those that have police and enforcement powers,” she said.

“Posibleng bumaba, ma-retain, posibleng tumaas… makikita natin sa kurso ng mga deliberasyon natin,” Suansing added.

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