Bills filed to regulate confidential funds and special disbursing officers

DAVAO CITY – Lawmakers have filed two bills seeking stricter regulations on the allocation and utilization of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) and the accountability of special disbursing officers (SDOs).

House Bills (HB) 11192 and 11193 were filed on Wednesday by members of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, led by Chair Joel Chua, following investigations into the alleged misuse of PHP612.5 million in CIF by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education under Vice President Sara Duterte.

The proposed “Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) Utilization and Accountability Act” seeks to limit CIF allocation to agencies with mandates on national security, peace and order, and intelligence gathering.

Prohibiting CIF use for non-security-related purposes, such as political activities, personal expenses, and public relations campaigns.

Requiring agencies to report CIF utilization to the Commission on Audit (COA) without compromising confidentiality.

“The original purpose of confidential funds was to support peace, order, and public safety programs. However, inquiries revealed that civilian agencies used these funds for purposes unrelated to national security,” the lawmakers stated.

They emphasized the need for stricter guidelines to ensure transparency and proper use of public funds while balancing the necessity of CIF for national security purposes.

The proposed “Special Disbursing Officers Accountability Act” introduces stricter qualifications and accountability measures for SDOs managing both regular and confidential funds.

Limiting SDO appointments to permanent government employees with expertise in accounting, auditing, or finance.

Requiring SDOs to secure fidelity bonds equivalent to their cash accountability, with net worth covering 50-100% of their cash responsibilities.

Prohibiting SDOs from delegating fund disbursement and requiring personal liquidation of disbursed funds.

Failure to comply will result in severe penalties, including disqualification from public service and forfeiture of benefits.

Confidential expenses cover surveillance activities in civilian agencies that support their mandates, while intelligence funds focus on information gathering by uniformed and military personnel with a direct impact on national security. Both types of funds require Presidential approval for release and are subject to COA guidelines.

“These measures aim to promote transparency, accountability, and proper utilization of public resources,” the lawmakers stressed.