JUSTIFIED expenses that can help the government draw more investments in the country and beef up national cybersecurity.
This was how the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) defended the higher budget allocated for President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s local and overseas trips, as well as intelligence funds for all government agencies in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the 58-percent increase in the proposed budget of the Office of the President (OP) for local and foreign trips is “justified” since it helps promote the country as a business hub.
The OP requested Congress to raise its P893.87-million travel budget to P1.08 billion.
Pangandaman noted that in most overseas travels, the president makes it a point to meet with foreign businessmen and encourage them to set up their operations in the country.
“So I think the expenses of the trip, as long as it will be beneficial, is an advantage for the country,” Pangandaman said, partly in Filipino during a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday.
Critics have often sought a cost-benefit analysis on the expenses incurred for the several trips undertaken by the president since assuming office on June 30, 2022.
Palace officials and economic managers, however, have pointed to the benefit of having the President himself “sell” the country, given the challenging global outlook and the keen competition among countries looking to lure investments that exit conflict-stricken areas or those deemed no longer conducive for business. The DBM chief, meanwhile, also allayed public concerns on the P120 increase in the intelligence funds in the 2024 NEP.
Pangandaman attributed the proposed hike in intelligence funds to the additional needs of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), Anti-Money Laundering Council, and the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
DICT will utilize the budget for its cybersecurity programs, while PSG will tap it for its intelligence activity during overseas trips of the president. Most or P2.25 billion of the proposed P10.14 billion-intelligence funds next year is still lodged with the OP.
Other executive offices have the second biggest intelligence fund allocations with P695 million, followed by the Office of the Vice President (P500 million), Department of Justice (P471.29 million), and the DICT (P300) million.
Pangadaman gave assurances that all of the government agencies and instrumentalities will still be required to account for the use of their intelligence funds under the Joint Circular No. 2015-01 of DBM, Commission on Audit, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Governance Commission for GOCCs, and the Department of National Defense.
“It identifies what projects can be funded with confidential and intel funds and at the same time under section 4 of the joint circular, it also details how to disburse the fund,” Pangandaman said.