SOME confidential and intelligence funds of the Agriculture Department may be transferred to the Justice Department to boost the campaign against agricultural smugglers and hoarders, a senator proposed on Monday.
Senator Raffy Tulfo at a hearing Monday suggested the intra-agency transfer at ₱50 million.
“I’m proposing na medyo pumitas tayo doon sa budget ng DA sa confidential funds. I-transfer na lang sa NBI (National Bureau of Investigation). Siguro i-distribute natin sa PNP (Philippine National Police), Immigration, I don’t know. Nasa discretion niyo na po ‘yun,” Tulfo told the Senate committee on finance.
The senator said DA officials justified the CIF in line with the president’s directive to go after agricultural smugglers and hoarders, but he added that this job could be done by other agencies.
“Kung to go after smugglers andiyan naman yung customs at PNP,” Tulfo said.
“Para sa ‘kin kasi it really doesn’t make sense na ‘yung DA magkakaroon ng confidential funds,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Senate finance committee said it has raised the proposed NBI budget.
“Just for the record, we inserted over ₱500 million in the budget of the NBI, in addition to the help we gave the DOJ,” committee chairperson Sonny Angara said.
Bureau officials said the Budget Department cut the proposed fund for training new recruits, adding that at least ₱19 million is needed to train 199 agents.
Tulfo backed the call for a higher training budget.
“That is a very important part of their budget, para makapag-train ng mga bagong NBI. Napakababa ng recruitment nila,” the senator said.
“Mataas ang expectation sa NBI. Baka naman pag ‘onti lang sila at hindi natin bigyan ng suporta, baka dahan-dahan mawalan ng tiwala. So kailangan more recruits,” Tulfo added.
Angara said the committee is set to endorse the DOJ budget to the plenary.
