Ang pinagsamang P650 milyong intelligence funds ng Department of Education (DepEd) at Office of the Vice President (OVP) ay nagsisilbing “pork barrel fund” ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
Dahil dito, nanawagan si House Deputy Minority Leader at ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso na I- realign P500-milyong intelligence fund ng OVP sa Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Paliwanag ni Castro, ang PCG ang nagdurusa sa ginagawang pambu-bully ng China West Philippine Sea (WPS) ngunit ang intelligence fund ng ahensya ay P10 milyon lamang habang ang OVP na walang kinalaman sa “intelligence gathering” ay napakalaki ng intel funds.
“If the OVP is so concerned with national security, then it should have no objections and would in fact support the transfer of its P500 million to the PCG,”anang mambabatas.
Naunang sinabi ni Castro na ang P150 milyong confidential funds ng DepEd, na pinamumunuan din ni Duterte, ay dapat I-realign sa early child development program.
Kaugnay nito, ipinauubaya ni Duterte sa mga kongresista ang pagpapasya sa isyu ng confidential at intelligence funds ng OVP at DepEd.
“The matter of the confidential funds should be left to the wisdom of the entire membership of the House of Representatives and the Senate and not to Ms. France Castro,” pahayag ni Duterte.
Ipinagtanggol ni Duterte ang panukalang P150-M confidential funds ng DepED sa 2024 dahil konektado aniya ang edukasyon sa national security.
“Because education is intertwined with national security. Napakahalaga na we mold children who are patriotic, children who will love our country, and who will defend our country,” aniya.
