Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III is urging the Office of the Ombudsman to be a “model agency” in the reporting and liquidation of confidential funds.
In yesterday’s interpellation of the proposed P4.7 billion budget of the Ombudsman, Pimentel related that the agency has been allocated confidential funds annually during the previous years.
“And the confidential fund has been increasing every year,” he noted. Due to this, he said the Ombudsman knows the rules on how to report or liquidate confidential funds and what items can be used.
“If there can’t be a zero or reduced confidential fund, the Ombudsman can be a model agency which the Commission on Audit can point to as a way to be transparent in the reporting of confidential funds,” Pimentel said.
He aired his openness to back up increased funding for Ombudsman to support its fight against corruption in government and said the budget allocation proposed by the Executive branch for the Ombudsman was retained in the House-approved General Appropriations Bill.
“What’s important is we are united, the majority bloc and minority bloc, when it comes to supporting the Ombudsman in his fight against corruption,” Pimentel said.
The plenary approved the recommended 2023 budget ng Office of the Office under Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
Martires also confirmed that the Ombudsman is pushing for the repeal of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), noting that ARTA is “unconstitutional.”
Sen. Raffy Tulfo meanwhile said he supports the approved P710 billion budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2023 but maintained the confidential funds of the department should be used properly to ensure the safety and protection of students.
He underscored the need to protect students from child molesters, kidnappers, drug dealers, and other child predators.
He cited that in the past, they have received complaints on rampant bullying and harassment from non-students outside the campus. He wants these problems addressed.
“We have to protect the welfare of the children. if in America, students were oftentimes victims of mass shootings, in the Philippines, there were reports that drug pushers are selling illegal drugs around the vicinity of schools,” he said.
The confidential funds, he noted, can be used to track down these people are and pre-empt them from victimizing students.
Earlier. DepEd revealed reports of “sexual grooming cases, sexual abuse, and cases of drugs being sold in schools” either from outside school premises or inside, as well as cases of criminal activities in school, have been rampant.
He said DepEd could lead the information gathering or intelligence networking to help address such concerns considering that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) already have so much on their plates.
“PNP & PDEA are already overwhelmed as it is so it will be best kung magkakaroon ang DepEd ng sariling intelligence network to easily track down people taking advantage of the lack of security in schools, as opposed to aasa na lang sila sa PNP at PDEA,” he said.
Moreover, Tulfo said DepEd should ensure that the School Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allotted for the Department must be provided to the teachers and the schools up to the last centavo.
He got complaints from some public school teachers who were forced to shell out money from their own pockets to purchase classroom needs, such as chalk, eraser, and electric fan.
Due to lack of funds, he said teachers compelled students to contribute to expenses for the janitorial services, utility bills, security and other campus maintenance. Some students, meanwhile, were forced to bring “baon” to buy food in the canteen where the proceeds are used for school maintenance
Worse, if the students cannot come up with the contribution for this kind of scheme, they are not allowed to take the exams or participate in the graduation ceremonies.
Under the proposed 2023 National Expenditure Program, the confidential funds for DepEd amounts to P150 million and its MOOE amounts to 135 million.