Aquino’s office wants P600-M intel funds for 2012

President Benigno Aquino III’s office wants P600 million from the proposed 2012 national budget allocated to its “confidential and intelligence" funds, a Palace official said Thursday. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the amount, which is P200 million more than its current allocation, will be used to fight organized and transnational crimes. The intelligence funds will primarily go to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), and the Anti-Terrorism Council, he said. “The reason for the increase is that there has been a reactivation and formalization of the PAOCC and there’s an expanded jurisdiction. We also have the anti-terror council, which also operates, and then we have the PCTC which is on transnational crimes," Ochoa said during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives. Ochoa said the Cabinet’s security cluster— which includes the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense, the Department of Justice and the National Security Adviser—will take charge of the intelligence funds. Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino, however, said the Office of the President intelligence funds are “too high" and should instead be place on allocations for public hospitals and state colleges and universities. “For me, masyadong mataas ang intelligence funds. I hope we here in Congress can realign this to other social services," he said during the hearing. The proposal to increase the OP’s intelligence funds came after anomalies were discovered from similar funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. - Andreo C. Calonzo/KBK, GMA News