Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) — A lawmaker on Monday pushed to restore the confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) proposed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for next year and even double it to address human trafficking and job scams.
Senator Raffy Tulfo said in a hearing that the agency should have a CIF of ₱20 to ₱25 million after the Budget Department scrapped the ₱10 million original proposal.
“Sana mabigyan sila ng confidential funds,” Tulfo said. “It is really needed for this agency given the fact na marami tayong OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) na naloloko and na-ii-scam.”
[Translation: I hope they will be given confidential funds. It is really needed for this agency, given the fact that there are a lot of OFWs that are tricked and scammed.]
Tulfo said the CIF will be used to track down illegal recruiters and put a stop to their operations.
The Senate finance committee suspended deliberation on the DMW budget until Monday next week. The agency is seeking an outlay of ₱15.54 billion.
The Senate also wanted the Commission of Human Rights to have a higher CIF as the ₱1 million proposed by the agency is insufficient for its investigation on human rights violations.
While lawmakers are rooting for agencies that need CIF the most, the Office of the Vice President, on the other hand, is under fire for its ₱500-million CIF that cleared the House and Senate budget hearings.
