READ: Eliseo Rio resigns as DICT undersecretary amid internal issues
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5) — Senators are pushing for the creation of an oversight committee to review government agencies’ use of intelligence and confidential funds.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senate Committee on National Defense and Security Chairman Panfilo “Ping” Lacson have filed the resolution in the wake of allegations of fund misuse at the Department of Information and Communications Technology. Specifically, Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. has questioned ₱300 million worth of cash advances released to Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II in 2019.
Asked if Honasan could face a legislative inquiry over alleged irregularities in the DICT budget, Lacson hinted it is possible.
“Once the reso that SP Sotto and I filed early this week is adopted and the oversight committee is reconstituted, we will meet to decide on the way forward,” Lacson said.
He added that he and Sotto believe Honasan “deserves the opportunity to give his side amid all the insinuations aired by his close friend, Usec. Rio.”
Under their resolution, the Senate Select Oversight Committee on Intelligence and Confidential Funds will conduct hearings and investigations, and receive testimonies and reports relevant to its mandate. It notes that an oversight committee had been present in past Congresses and that there’s a need to reestablish one “in light of the recent threats to our country’s national security.”
The committee, to be chaired by Lacson, will be composed of four majority and two minority lawmakers. It will investigate the efficiency of government agencies’ use of intelligence and confidential funds in preventing crimes and arresting criminals, protecting country’s territory and national security and ensuring the release of timely intelligence information.
Confidential funds are given in lump-sum to agencies for expenses which cannot be itemized under the national spending plan, such as surveillance activities done by government units other than the military. Rio quit his post last week as he questioned the need for a confidential fund for the DICT — an amount which Honasan included in the agency’s budget when he was still a senator, he said.
A document obtained by CNN Philippines showed that a unit of the Commission on Audit assigned at the DICT flagged the irregular release of funds from confidential expenses through Audit Observation Memorandum 2020-001 issued January 20. The amounts were released in three tranches worth ₱100 million each on November 8, December 3, and December 17 last year as “cash advance for confidential expenses in connection with cybersecurity activities.” Only the first disbursement has been liquidated, the documents showed.
CNN Philippines cannot independently verify the issued memorandum, which was identified as “highly classified” and confidential. The auditors acknowledged that Honasan’s office submitted supporting documents for one of the transactions on January 15, which include a copy of the check, obligation request status, a special allotment release order, and 17 other requirements. However, COA said this was still questionable.
CNN Philippines has repeatedly requested comment from Honasan but he has yet to respond.
Honasan was present during the Cabinet meeting Tuesday night, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a press briefing. However, issues surrounding the DICT were not discussed. He just noticed that President Rodrigo Duterte shook Honasan’s hand and that they “exchanged pleasantries.”
“If they will invoke national security, it’s for Congress to decide. But they have to come to Congress. We have to exercise our oversight function over the budge,” Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate added.
It also remains unclear if Duterte has accepted Rio’s resgnation.
Nograles said Rio can file a formal complaint with Malacañang. He added that he does not know of any investigation being conducted by the Palace on the accusations against Honasan.
“I think we should give the DICT family the first chance to respond if they would,” he said.
DICT is the agency tasked to craft and promote the national development agenda on telecommunications and information technology, taking the function away from the older Department of Transportation and Communications. It is in charge of the rollout of the third telecommunications player, the free public wifi project, and fiber optic cable networks for communications infrastructure.
CNN Philippines’ Melissa Lopez and Glee Jalea contributed to this report.
House urged to hold its own probe on intel funds
Meanwhile, lawmakers from the minority bloc in the House of Representatives, are also calling on the lower chamber to exercise its oversight powers and conduct a separate probe on the matter.
At least 17 lawmakers have filed House Resolution 702 on Wednesday directing the House Committee on Good Government and Accountability to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation on the confidential funds of the DICT. The resolution was only shown to the media on Thursday.
“The allocation of very huge confidential fund for DICT is just part of the unprecedented increase of the confidential and intelligence fund of the different department and agencies under the present administration,” the resolution read.
“With the current expose of former DICT Undersecretary Engr. Rio of suspected misuse of funds, it behooves upon Congress to exercise its oversight powers and scrutinize how this funds are being expended,” it added.
“Alam natin na hindi talaga ito ina-audit kung sino ang may intelligence funds…Dapat ngayon maging mapanuri na ‘yung liderato ng Kongreso sa nire-raise ng Makabayan kagaya ng pondo na ito na hindi natin alam kung saan napupunta,” said ACT-Teachers Party-list France Castro, one of the authors of the House resolution.
[Translation: We already know that no auditing process takes place on who really has the intelligence funds. This should be the proper time for House leaders to consider what Makabayan has been raising, including these funds wit questionable allocations.]
Once approved, Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante of Manila 6th District will lead the committee hearing.
CNN Philippines has repeatedly requested comment from Honasan on the issue but he has yet to respond.
