VERA Files
Mali ang pahayag ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri noong Nob. 7 na maaaring gamitin ang confidential funds sa pagkukumpuni ng mga silid-aralan.
A 2015 Commission on Audit (COA) set of guidelines defines confidential expenses as lump sum amounts for “surveillance activities in civilian government agencies.” It categorically states that “in no case shall (confidential or intelligence funds) be used for … construction or acquisition of buildings or housing structures.”
Inaprubahan ng Senado noong Nob. 23 ang panukalang P5.27 trillion na pambansang budget para sa 2023. Ni-realign nito ang hindi bababa sa P170 milyon na confidential na pondo ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno sa kanilang maintenance at iba pang operating expenses.
What are confidential and intelligence funds? For what can these be used?
Pinabubulaanan ang ulat ng komite ng United Nations (UN) tungkol sa pagpapatuloy ng extrajudicial killings sa Pilipinas, sinabi ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri na wala siyang narinig o nakikitang anumang pagpatay, partikular sa mga hinihinalang pusher ng droga, sa ilalim ng bagong administrasyon.
Contrary to Zubiri’s claim, the Philippine National Police reported on Nov. 14 that 46 deaths occurred in 18,505 anti-drug operations since the Marcos administration assumed power on June 30. The police claimed the 46 individuals killed were suspects who resisted arrest.
Press freedom in the Philippines does not fare better than Singapore and Malaysia, according to the Paris-based World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders.
Iginiit na “hindi patas” ang ginawa ng Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) ng United Nations na ipahayag ang kanilang mga alalahanin sa mga ulat ng mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa bansa, kabilang ang pagkakapatay sa mamamahayag na si Percy Lapid, maling iginiit ni Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri na ang Pilipinas ay may “napakamalayang media” kumpara sa mga bansang tulad ng Malaysia, Singapore at Vietnam.
Does Zubiri need to witness the killings and hear the gunshots to believe the PNP report on 28 deaths in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration?
“I appeal to the media: help us beautify the image of the Philippines.” And the Senate president is every inch correct that the image of the country before the world is bleak.