Saksi is GMA Network's late-night newscast hosted by Arnold Clavio and Pia Arcangel. It airs Mondays to Fridays at 11:00 PM (PHL Time) on GMA-7. For more videos from Saksi, visit http://www.gmanews.tv/saksi.
News updates on COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and the COVID-19 vaccine: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/covid-19/
#Nakatutok24Oras
Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad:
GMA News and Public Affairs Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews
GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe
News updates on COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and the COVID-19 vaccine: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/covid-19/
#Nakatutok24Oras
Breaking news and stories from the Philippines and abroad:
GMA News and Public Affairs Portal: http://www.gmanews.tv
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gmanews
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gmanews
GMA Network Kapuso programs on GMA Pinoy TV: https://gmapinoytv.com/subscribe
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:03 The Senate approved the budget for 2024 of the Office of the Vice President, but it will not ask for confidential funds.
00:12 Unlike the OVP, the approved budget of the Office of the President has confidential and intelligence funds.
00:20 Witness, Ma'am Gonzales.
00:22 [Music]
00:25 While the Congress is discussing the controversial request for confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education,
00:33 Vice President Sara Duterte also gave a statement about this several times.
00:37 We are not insisting. We can live without confidential funds.
00:41 But of course, our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility of confidential funds.
00:49 Remember, whoever is against confidential funds is against peace.
01:00 Whoever is against peace is against the country.
01:08 But in the end, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sonny Angara announced that the Vice President of Confidential Funds will not ask for the 2024.
01:17 We're in receipt of a statement from the Vice President. They will no longer pursue the CIF or CF.
01:24 And the reason why is because it is seen to be divisive. And as the Vice President, she swore an oath to keep the country peaceful and strong.
01:32 I commend her, Mr. President, for now categorically stating to this house that it's not a deferral to our wisdom.
01:44 She does not want it anymore.
01:47 DepEd will also no longer ask for 150 million pesos of confidential funds.
01:51 Because of that, the budget allocated will be re-alligned for agencies that are focused on defending the West Philippine Sea and other security issues.
02:00 The camera first filmed the 500 million pesos of confidential funds of the OVP.
02:05 If it's true, it can be returned to the Bicameral Conference Committee. But it is not said that it will happen.
02:11 The VP doesn't want it. We talked to her. She doesn't want to return the confidential funds. So it's good that it's academic.
02:20 But Senator Rizonti-Veros insisted that the transfer of 125 million pesos from the contingent fund of the Office of the President to the confidential funds of the OVP
02:31 is still being audited. Angara explained that it was spent for the proper implementation of the various programs of the OVP.
02:39 The 125 million pesos spent in 11 days, or on average 11.3 million pesos a day,
02:49 was used to save the free rides or the preparation for the opening of satellite offices.
03:00 The 11 days is the period of disbursement of the funds. But if you include the period for obligation, it was actually 19 days.
03:10 And if we look at the services performed or the use of the funds, it goes beyond actually the 11 or whether there's 11 days or 19 days.
03:23 The Supreme Court has a petition to re-assess the funds. The Vice President said that this is a good opportunity to have a thorough discussion.
03:34 We are happy to accept the opportunity to discuss the legality of the transfer of funds. We hope that the Supreme Court will be the way to end this discussion.
03:46 In the end, the 1.8 billion pesos budget of the OVP was approved. Angara is the sponsor of the budget of the transfer.
03:53 The Office of the President also approved the 2024 budget of 10.645 billion pesos.
04:01 But the President's fund is equivalent to the 2 billion pesos of confidential and intelligence funds.
04:08 The President himself and as well as his office are consumers of intelligence already gathered and organized by the intelligence practitioners.
04:18 Why did the Office of the President request for intelligence funds and at the level found in the NEP, which is around 2.3 billion pesos?
04:31 The President is both the user and generator of confidential and intelligence information.
04:38 As the Commander-in-Chief, he needs to make very crucial decisions. The importance of information cannot be understated, Your Honor.
04:47 The possibility that he gets filtered information should be bypassed or should not be there, Your Honor.
04:58 For GMA Integrated News, I'm Mav Gonzales, your witness.
05:03 [music]