A legislator belonging to the Makabayan Bloc on Friday assailed the drastic increase in the intelligence fund of the Office of the President “makes the Philippines look like a de facto police-military state” since the money may be used to keep track of the perceived and real political opponents of President Rodrigo Duterte as well as suspected enemies of the State.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said this in the wake of reports which revealed the intelligence and confidential funds of the OP almost doubled, or from P1.25 billion each in 2017 and 2018, to P2.25 billion in 2019 to the proposed P4.5 billion in 2020.
Zarate said that the big allocations, when taken in the context of police and military pronouncements, “are indicative of an unannounced martial law.”
“Take this proposed intelligence budget with the proposed amendments to the Human Security Act along with the PNP’s and AFP’s push for the revival of the Anti-Subversion law and the militarization of campuses, then these would effectively make the whole Philippines as a police state,” Zarate said.
This will result in de facto martial law nationwide, he added.