MAKATI CITY, Metro Manila — Not all agencies are entitled to confidential funds (CF), especially if they are not directly involved with the country’s national security, according to former Commission on Audit (CoA) commissioner Heidi Mendoza.

In a television interview, the ex-CoA chief enthused that she is in favor of removing CF of agencies that have no relation in information gathering even as she recalled investigations by the House of Representatives that pointed to alleged misuse of the CF.

Particularly mentioned during the House probe was alleged misuse of the CF by the Department of Education (DepEd) while under the leadership of Vice President 'Inday' Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“Bakit natin bibigyan ng confi (confidential) funds ang mga ahensyang walang direct na mandato sa national security?” Mendoza asked.

“Malinaw po doon at sinasabi na hindi lahat entitled sa confidential funds dahil kung ikaw ay Department of Education, eh nagawa ng ibang secretary na walang confi eh bakit ngayon, mayroon?" she further queried.

Mendoza, who is also a senatorial aspirant for this year's national and local elections (NLE), explained that audit is “about process and compliance with laws, rules, and regulations" while “public funds is about transparency and accountability."

"Hindi ako nag-aagree na lahat ay may relasyon sa national security,” she reiterated as she noted that Joint Circular 2015-01 states that the following entities are entitled to CF or intelligence funds (IF): national government agencies, which are expressly provided budget allocation for CF and/or IF under the General Appropriations Act or other law(s); government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) as provided in their corporate operating budget in respect only to CF as may be authorized by the Governance

Commission for GOCCs; and local government units (LGUs) whose peace and order is a priority concern and which have duly allocated CF, but not IF, in their annual appropriation ordinances.