Albay Representative Edcel Lagman suggested that some of the intelligence funds from the Office of the President should be transferred to the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) which co-headed by Vice President Leni Robredo.
In a statement released on Friday, Lagman said that the money intended to sustain the controversial Oplan Tokhang of the government should be transferred to ICAD to fund the “peaceful” campaign of Robredo.
“Even the President’s huge intelligence and confidential funds amounting to P4.5 billion, which purportedly include covert operations on the drug war, should also be reduced to augment the funds of the ICAD,” Lagman said.
Lagman revealed that he already warned Robredo from accepting the position in ICAD because it’s different from President Duterte’s previous offer that will make her a “drug czar”.
“A co-chair of ICAD is vastly different from an anti-drug czar previously ‘offered’ by President Duterte to Vice President Leni Robredo. The diluted position validates the fear that the Vice President is being set up to fail,” he said.
According to Lagman, the P15-M budget of ICAD is included in the miscellaneous and other operating expenses of PDEA.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo admitted that the 15-M budget of ICAD is not enough for them to fund their strategies.
“Ang pondo na nakasalang ay ₱15 million, tingin ko kulang ‘yun dahil sa lawak ng responsibilities, humihingi rin ng pondo para ma-implement rin itong anti-drug strategy,” Robredo during her radio program “Biserbisyong Leni”
According to her, the additional funding will be used to build rehabilitation centers and conducting of drug prevention education.