Money is people’s trust. Every peso collected through taxes comes from the sweat, hard work, and sacrifices of ordinary citizens. Because of this, it is only fair that the government should be transparent about how our money is being spent. One of the most debated topics today is the use of confidential funds.
In layman’s terms, confidential funds are money set aside for activities that cannot be openly discussed for “security reasons.” For example, these can be used for intelligence work, surveillance, or emergency operations. By nature, they are hidden....meaning the public cannot easily know where exactly the money went. The law allows this kind of secrecy because it is supposed to protect sensitive operations.
But here’s the question: does it make sense for all government offices, from the President down to the barangay level, to have confidential funds? Common sense tells us....no. Not everyone needs to operate in the shadows. Not every project is about national security. When an office has confidential funds but no clear security role, the people begin to wonder: why hide the spending?
Opening up confidential funds to public review, not by law but by common sense, is a way of showing honesty. If leaders truly believe the money was used properly, then they should have nothing to fear from transparency. After all, government is a public trust, and trust only grows when people feel that nothing is being hidden from them.
This does not mean exposing sensitive details that could put the nation at risk. Of course, some operations need privacy. But at the very least, there should be clear guidelines, limits, and accountability. For example: How much was spent? For what purpose in general? Who approved it? Even a summary report can already give assurance that money was used wisely.
In the end, it boils down to one simple principle: Kung pera ng taumbayan ang ginamit, may karapatan ang taumbayan na malaman. Confidential funds should not be treated as blank checks. They should not be used as shortcuts to avoid public scrutiny.
Laws may allow secrecy, but common sense tells us transparency builds trust. And without trust, no government can truly stand strong.
So, can we open confidential funds? Yes, by common sense. However, don't just single out to open the confidential funds of the office of our dear Vice President!
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