The President’s role as head of the country’s armed forces gives him legitimate grounds to hold confidential funds, according to Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., who tied that entitlement directly to security concerns raised against Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Speaking to reporters on August 31, 2026, the lawmaker argued that the nature of the President’s office—and the danger attached to it—makes such an allocation warranted.
“Kinakailangan po natin malaman lang paano gagamitin ‘yan, saan gagamitin ‘yan. Palagay ko naman alam na po natin, bilang commander-in-chief ng Armed Forces, bilang siya rin po ang subject ng mga threat, especially ng Vice President, aba, kinakailangan po naman na meron po talagang confidential funds ang ating Pangulo,” Abante said.
The threats he referenced trace back to Vice President Sara Duterte, whose ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate hinges in part on remarks she made during a November 2024 online press conference. As reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Duterte stated she had arranged for Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez to be killed should she herself be assassinated—a statement Malacañang classified as an active threat and referred to the Presidential Security Command.
Abante, who chairs the House quad-committee 2.0, made clear that his defense of the allocation does not exempt it from oversight. He said Congress must still examine how the money is spent and that liquidation requirements apply regardless of the fund’s classification.
That call for accountability was seconded by La Union Rep. and Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V, who framed correct handling as the central test for any such disbursement.
“Importante kung meron ka man nailaan o naibigay na pondo dapat tama po ‘yung paggamit. Tama ‘yung pinuntahan at tama po ‘yung proseso na sinusunod,” Ortega said.
The remarks landed as the Office of the President prepared to face the House Appropriations Committee over its share of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. Within that spending plan, the Office of the President is asking for P4.55 billion in confidential and intelligence funds—a figure unchanged from 2026, consisting of P2.25 billion in confidential money and P2.3 billion in intelligence money, according to Manila Bulletin.
Scrutiny of that request has not been one-sided. Senate figures including JV Ejercito have pushed to restrict such funds to agencies whose work involves law enforcement, intelligence, or national security. Abante contends the Office of the President clears that bar, pointing again to the commander-in-chief function and the security exposure that comes with it.
