BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed having a confidential fund amounting to P18 million.
“Most local government units (LGUs) have confidential funds, but it’s not something I’m willing to die for,” he told Panay News.
The city mayor said he wouldn’t mind if confidential funds were removed.
However, he cautioned that the city would face challenges, especially with the resurgence of illegal drug activities.
Treñas revealed that these funds are channeled to government agencies, including the Iloilo City Police Office and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“These funds are utilized for illegal drug operations, the reward system, and intelligence gathering,” he explained.
Treñas added: “There’s a basis for this amount, as it shouldn’t exceed 30 percent of the total budget for peace and order. In our case, it doesn’t even reach 30 percent.”
In past years, Treñas noted, the confidential funds were sometimes fully expended, while at other times they weren’t. Any remaining balance was returned to the general fund.
He further stated that the allocated confidential fund often proves insufficient given the numerous operations conducted by the police and PDEA.
Iloilo province’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. recently acknowledged having annual confidential funds as the Local Chief Executive (LCE) of the Iloilo province. The governor also shared that he doesn’t always fully use the fund, leading to reallocations.
The debate surrounding confidential funds has grown more heated recently, particularly as several national government agencies, including the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, have proposed substantial confidential budgets./PN
