House appropriations committee chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co welcomed the reported consensus among senators to remove confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) from civilian agencies.

“This jibes with or is a vindication of the decision of the House of Representatives to realign those appropriations. With such consensus, we foresee a smooth bicameral conference on the 2024 budget,” he said.

Co said the reported agreement of senators to strip civilian agencies of CIFs would expedite the approval of next year’s spending program.

The House earlier realigned CIFs of civilian offices, including the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, to agencies that deal with national security and protection of the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea.

According to news reports, the senators’ consensus to deprive civilian offices of CIF appropriations was reached in a caucus early this week.

There were speculations that some members of the Senate were proposing the restoration of some CIFs.

Deputy Majority Leader and Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren said the senators’ consensus is consistent with the dominant public opinion expressed in the recent Octa Research survey.

The Octa poll showed that 57 percent of adult Filipinos “agreed” with the House’s decision to reallocate CIFs of some civilian agencies to government entities that directly deal with national security concerns.

Only 14 percent “disagreed” with the decision of the House leadership to remove the total P650 million in proposed CIF in two high government offices.

Among those who agreed, the highest was in Balance of Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) at 75 percent, followed by Metro Manila’s 65 percent, the Visayas’ 46 percent, and Mindanao’s 24 percent.

Among socio-economic groups, 72 percent of class ABC agreed (highest), while 54 percent of class E agreed (lowest).

“The Octa survey results are an affirmation that we did the right thing,” Pumaren said.