The Confidential Funds should not be allocated to the DepEd

Confidential Funds: Confidential funds are lump-sum amounts of money provided to

government agencies for confidential purposes. These funds can be used for law
enforcement undercover operations, such as drug buy money and investigative
expenses. They can also be used for combating terrorism and safeguarding the integrity
of the nation.

"Ang atong mga anak dapat maka eskwela nga dili ta mahadlok nga dunay
magpahimulos nila. Dapat makapanigurado ta nga dunay ta mahatag nga pagkaon
nga baon sa ilaha. Dapat makauli sila sa atong mga paninalay nga luwas ug
malipayon (Our children should go to school without us worrying that they could be in
danger. We should ensure that we can provide them with food. They must come back
home safe and happy). This is a picture of national security. This is confidential funds,"
Duterte said. Lopez, A. (2023, October 4).

[ By choosing to allocate the Confidential Funds to the DepEd, we are choosing

to ignore other prominent problems which our country is facing ]

Main Argument: There are other Departments/Organizations in need of funds

Argument #1: There are other Departments/Organizations in need of funds (Ex. NSC)
The allocated (2023) budget for the NSC (National Security Council) is P343.3
million. BORDEY, H. (2022, October 4). On the other hand, the budget for the DepEd is a
whopping P710.6 Billion. DBM submits 2023 Budget to Congress; Education,
infrastructure, health, social protection, agriculture, top budget priorities. (n.d.).
If the NSC’s funds are not enough, the state of national security is at stake,
especially with the rising tension with China.
According to Lopez, A. (2023, October 4). Manila accused Chinese ships of firing water
cannons and making “dangerous maneuvers” toward Philippine vessels resupplying a
remote military outpost on Friday, in the latest of a string of incidents between the two
countries in the disputed South China Sea.

Philippine authorities said a Chinese coast guard vessel had fired water cannon against
its vessel M/L Kalayaan in “an illegal though unsuccessful attempt to force [it] to alter
course,” as it took part in a routine resupply mission to troops stationed on the BRP Sierra
Madre in the Second Thomas Shoal.

The Philippines also claimed that vessels belonging to a Chinese maritime militia were
involved in the harassment and that two Philippine boats were subjected to “reckless”
and “dangerous” harassment by inflatable boats belonging to the Chinese coast
guard.

The rising tension with China poses a direct threat to the country, and sufficient funds for
the National Security Council (NSC) are crucial.

Example #2: Department of Agriculture (DA)

(2023) Budget: P184.1
According to Sicat, G. P. (n.d.). The country’s agricultural sector has been unable
to provide sufficient income for people whose livelihood depends on it. The sector’s
primary producers are among the poorest in the country.

The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for 2025 to 2028, in its Chapter 5,
describes the current problems of agriculture succinctly:
1. Low farm/labor productivity
- Invest in undercover operations or surveillance to identify and combat
issues such as smuggling, illegal labor practices, or the use of counterfeit
agricultural inputs.
2. Low access to credit and insurance
- Allocate Confidential Funds (with the help of intelligence funds) to
intelligence operations aimed at identifying fraudulent practices in credit
and insurance schemes.
3. Unsustainable farming practices leading to underutilized production potentials
- Invest in undercover investigations to identify and address the illicit trade
of banned agricultural chemicals
4. Weak export performance and lack of diversity
- Use Confidential Funds (with the help of intelligence funds) to gather
intelligence on potential export markets and assess their viability
5. Weak investments
 - Employ Confidential Funds to investigate potential corruption or
fraudulent activities hindering agricultural investments.
6. Inadequate infrastructure
- Investigate and address issues such as smuggling that may impact the
effectiveness of infrastructure projects.
7. Land fragmentation
- Investigate and address illegal practices that result in land disputes or
irregular land use
8. High vulnerability to multi-dimensional shocks.
- Invest in undercover investigations to identify and address potential
security threats affecting the agricultural supply chain.

By Using the Confidential Funds to address/fix the following problems, we can

provide sufficient income for those people whose lives depend on it

Argument #2: We already assigned the highest budgetary priority to education

According to The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. (1987). The State
shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will
attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate
remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Argument #3: Limitations of the help of confidential funds in terms of Education

Allocating confidential funds to our Education is not as beneficial as it may seem.
There are limitations. We cannot just use confidential funds for ordinary reasons.
According to Gregorio, X. (2022, October 5) Confidential and intelligence funds cannot
be used for:

● Salaries, wages, overtime, additional compensation, allowance or other fringe

benefits of officials and employees who are employed by the government in
whatever capacity or elected officials, except when authorized by law

● Representation, consultancy fees or entertainment expenses

● Construction or acquisition of buildings or housing structures

 If we cannot use confidential funds for the items stated above, how will it benefit
the DepEd/Education?

Argument #4: Funding is not the primary problem in Education

There are other prominent problem that our DepEd is facing in terms of
education, funding is not one of them
According to PBEd. (2023, June 2). These are the most pressing issues about the state of
education in 2023 PBED -Philippine Business for Education
1. Lack of Teacher Support
“One of the most glaring issues is the process of attracting better quality students
to become teachers. Participants agreed that the current context of the teaching
profession is unappealing to potential student-teacher applicants, resulting in teacher
courses becoming backup options if they do not get accepted in their preferred
course.“
2. Mass Promotion
“The misunderstood concept of “No child left behind” has led to the literal
practice of passing all students regardless of their grades. Despite no official memo or
directive from the DepEd central office mandating such, this practice seems to be
culturally ingrained in the local education system.”
3. Lack of Proper Assessment
“There was consensus that the National Assessment Test (NAT) fails to achieve its
purpose of providing data on the baseline of achievement among basic education
learners. Its validity and utility are nullified by the current practice of schools teaching
to the test as the NAT has become a competition for the recognition of high-scoring
schools.”

How are Confidential Funds supposed to help address/fix these prominent issues
if they are only used for CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS? (These matters should be dealt with
PUBLICLY as they are concerns by/for the public)
Instead of directly allocating the confidential funds to the DepEd, why not use
them to fund private research (with the help of intelligence funds) to better understand
the underlying issues of Education and address it.
Argument #5: Recent Questionable Use of Funds
According to (MACASERO & MAGSAMBOL, 2023) The incidents of lost DepEd
laptops mirror violations of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act. DepEd under
the Duterte administration chose a service provider that proved incapable of
fulfilling its contractual obligations that resulted in the waste of public funds.

The Department of Education's (DepEd) laptop procurement project in 2021 was

overpriced by "at least P979 million," the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee concluded
Thursday following months of investigation into the controversial deal.

"The supply and delivery of laptop computers for public school teachers under the 2021
DepEd laptop for teachers project was overpriced by at least P979 million," the
dispositive portion of the Senate panel's committee report stated.

The Senate investigation was prompted by the Commission on Audit's 2021 report on
the DepEd, which flagged the purchase of P2.4 billion worth of laptops that were
deemed "overpriced" and "outdated."

The panel also sought the recovery of P979 million "overpayment" to be put in a trust
fund for teachers. (Ann, 2023)

References:

Ann, S. (2023, January 19). Senate panel finds DepEd laptop project overpriced

by nearly P1 billion. ABS-CBN News; ABS-CBN News.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/23/senate-panel-finds-deped-laptop-project-ov

erpriced-by-nearly-p1-billion

BORDEY, H. (2022, October 4). Senate panel OKs NICA, NSA proposed 2023

budget (GMA News, Ed.) [Review of Senate panel OKs NICA, NSA proposed 2023

budget]. Https://Www.gmanetwork.com; GMA News.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/846942/senate-panel-oks-nica-n

sa-proposed-2023-budget/story/

DBM submits 2023 Budget to Congress; Education, infrastructure, health, social

protection, agriculture, top budget priorities. (n.d.). Www.dbm.gov.ph. Retrieved

November 14, 2023, from

https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.php/management-2/430-dbm-submits-2023-budget-to-

congress-education-infrastructure-health-social-protection-agriculture-top-budget-priori

ties#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20identified%20the%20priority

Gregorio, X. (2022, October 5). Confidential and intelligence funds explained.

Philstar.com.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/10/05/2214494/confidential-intel-funds-nation

al-budget-what-you-need-know

Lopez, A. (2023, October 4). Confidential funds needed for peace, order: VP

Sara (Philippine News Agency, Ed.) [Review of Confidential funds needed for peace,

order: VP Sara]. Https://Www.pna.gov.ph/; Philippine News Agency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1211164

MACASERO, R., & MAGSAMBOL, B. (2023, May 1). Negligence, corruption lead to

fire sale of DepEd laptops [Review of Negligence, corruption lead to fire sale of DepEd

laptops]. Https://Www.rappler.com; Rappler.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/negligence-corruption-lead-fire-sale

-laptops-department-education/
 PBEd. (2023, June 2). State of Philippine Education Report 2023. PBEd.

https://www.pbed.ph/blogs/47/PBEd/State%20of%20Philippine%20Education%20Report

%202023

‌ Register, K. M., Larry. (2023, November 10). Philippines accuses Chinese vessels of

firing water cannon on ships resupplying South China Sea military outpost. CNN.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/10/asia/south-china-sea-philippines-water-cannon-intl-

hnk/index.html

Sicat, G. P. (n.d.). Agricultural resurgence – a priority and a challenge.

Philstar.com.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2023/07/12/2280346/agricultural-resurgence-priority-

and-challenge

The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. (1987). Official Gazette of the

Republic of the Philippines.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/