Not all businesses are entitled to CF – Heidi Mendoza

Former COA commissioner Heidi Mendoza and lawyer Jimmy Bondoc throughout the “Tanong ng Bayan” senatorial face-off for the 2025 elections aired by GMA Information on Saturday night time, February 1, 2025. —Screenshot from GMA Information livestream/Youtube

MANILA, Philippines — Not all authorities businesses needs to be given confidential funds (CF), particularly if they don’t seem to be immediately concerned with the nation’s nationwide safety, senatorial aspirant and former Fee on Audit (COA) commissioner Heidi Mendoza stated.

Through the “Tanong ng Bayan” senatorial face-off for the 2-25 elections aired by GMA Information on Saturday night time, Mendoza stated that she is in favor of eradicating CF of businesses that haven’t any relation in data gathering.

The previous COA commissioner recalled the investigations performed by the Home of Representatives on the alleged misuse of the CF of the Division of Training below the management of Vice President Sara Duterte.

READ: Sara Duterte’s confidential fund spending raises new, extra doubts

“Bakit natin bibigyan ng confi [confidential] funds ang mga ahensyang walang direct na mandato sa nationwide safety? (Why are we offering confidential funds to these businesses that haven’t any direct mandate to nationwide safety?)” Mendoza requested.

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Within the face-off, Jimmy Bondoc, singer turned lawyer and a recognized staunch supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, stated that the removing of the CF needs to be gradual, emphasizing COA Round 2015-01 on how the funds needs to be spent.

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“Nagkakaisa po tayo na dapat labanan ang korapsyon. Ngunit ako po ay naniniwala na ang lahat ng authorities businesses ay might kinalaman sa nationwide safety. Ang nationwide safety ay hindi lang po terorismo, kundi minsan ay inside threats sa ahensya (We’re one with the combat in opposition to corruption. However I imagine that each one authorities businesses have one thing to do with nationwide safety. Our nationwide safety is not only about terrorism, it may be inside threats within the company.),” Bondoc argued.

Mendoza countered by saying: “Malinaw po doon at sinasabi na hindi lahat entitled sa confidential funds dahil kung ikaw ay Division of Training, eh nagawa ng ibang secretary na walang confi eh bakit ngayon, mayroon? (It clearly states that not all businesses are entitled to have confidential funds as a result of if the previous secretaries of the Division of Training didn’t have confidential funds, why would you?)”

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Additional, Bondoc confused that each authorities company is anxious with nationwide safety.

“Ang pinagkaiba ng ating paniniwala. Naniniwala ako na ang gobyerno ay nasa linya ng kaayusan at kaguluhan kaya ang lahat ng ahensya ay might kinalaman sa nationwide safety (Our distinction is our beliefs. I imagine that the federal government is in the course of chaos and peace that’s why all businesses are involved with nationwide safety.),” Bondoc expressed.

Mendoza then stated that audit is “about course of and compliance with legal guidelines, guidelines, and rules.” She added that “public funds is about transparency and accountability, subalit di ako nag-aagree na lahat ay might relasyon sa nationwide safety.” (However I don’t agree that all the pieces has to do with nationwide safety.)

The Joint Round 2015-01 states that the next entities are entitled to CF or intelligence funds (IF):

• Nationwide authorities businesses that are expressly offered finances allocation for CF and/or IF below the Common Appropriations Act or different legislation/s
• Authorities-owned and managed companies (GOCCs) as offered of their company working finances in respect solely to CF as could also be licensed by the Governance Fee for GOCCs
• LGUs whose peace and order is a precedence concern and which have duly allotted CF, however not IF, of their annual appropriation ordinances.