INTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the Philippine National Police (PNP) returned a P500 million insertion to the agency’s intelligence fund for fiscal year 2025.
During the Senate deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on October 16, Remulla said the PNP had returned P500 million of its P1.3 billion intelligence fund for 2025 after discovering that the amount had been inserted into its budget by “someone who requested 3,000 containers of fish.”
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate finance committee, inquired why the requested intelligence funds of the PNP decreased from P1.3 billion in 2025 to P800 million in 2026.
“The P500 million, that... was an insertion, which we turned over to the Office of the President. We didn’t use that P500 million,” Remulla said.
“We did not ask for it, so I returned it,” he added.
Remulla did not name the person he was referring to who made the insertion, but it can be recalled that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel earlier said, during budget deliberations, that controversial former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizalde “Zaldy” Co forced the Department of Agriculture (DA) to issue permits allowing his three companies to import 3,000 containers of fish.
In a statement Friday, October 17, 2025, the PNP, under the leadership of Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., emphasized its steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible fiscal management.
He said this is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., through the guidance of Remulla, to ensure the judicious and transparent use of public funds and maintain the highest standards of integrity and accountability across all government agencies.
“The PNP strictly adheres to all government auditing and accounting rules and regulations in the management of our intelligence and confidential funds. These funds are used solely for legitimate operations in support of national security, law enforcement, and internal security efforts,” Nartatez said.
Nartatez assured the public that the PNP maintains the highest level of fiscal discipline and transparency.
“Any irregularity or discrepancy identified in the budget process is immediately addressed in coordination with the concerned agencies, as demonstrated by the prompt return of the P500 million insertion,” he said.
Nartatez directed all PNP offices and units to strictly comply with existing government rules and procedures in the utilization of intelligence and confidential funds, reiterating that any misuse or misappropriation will result in administrative and criminal sanctions in accordance with existing laws and PNP disciplinary policies.
“To all our personnel, I remind everyone that fiscal integrity is a non-negotiable part of our service. As public servants, we are entrusted with the people’s money, and it is our duty to ensure that every allocation is spent lawfully and purposefully. Under my leadership, the PNP will continue to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance,” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)