Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said it is not enough that the small panel formed by the House of Representatives (HOR) realigned the confidential funds of selected agencies including the Office of the Vice President, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Department of Foreign Affairs. “May confidential and intelligence funds pa rin si Presidente Bongbong Marcos Jr and he stands to get the lion’s share of the CIF which is a whopping P4.5 billion.”
Farmers said they are pressing and demanding the full abolition of the confidential and intelligence funds that are nothing but a personal slush fund of selected government officials and agencies. “Confidential and intelligence funds are the modern-day pork barrel. It greases the wheels of corruption and bureaucrat capitalism in the country,” according to Ronnie Manalo, secretary general of KMP.
Based on the HOR panel recommendation, a total of P1.23 Billion will be realigned to the National Intelligence Coordination Agency (NICA), National Security Council (NSC), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). KMP said the biggest gainers in the confidential fund realignment — NICA and NSC are responsible for the nationwide campaign of red-tagging and attacks against activists and government critics. “We do not support this realignment to security agencies. We demand to abolish the confidential and intelligence funds and to realign its proposed budget to much-needed social services for the people such as free education, affordable healthcare, housing, and aid to farmers and fishers,” KMP concluded. ###
