We got hold of a copy of an investigative report written by Mindanews’ Carolyn O. Arguillas. We believe
it was carried out by both local newspapers in Davao City and other major cities in Mindanao. It is also
possible that the report might have been picked up by national media organizations.
The said report was an incisive scrutiny of the P14 billion budget of Davao City for the current year. Ms.
Arguillas’ detailed narrative took into consideration how the budget is allocated based on the various
services expected from departments and offices of the city government.
What shocked us the most – and without doubt Ms. Arguillas too – was the huge amount set aside for
programs and projects on peace and order and related activities. Imagine in a city where its leaders
pride so much of the acknowledged tag as “rebel-free” and “most peaceful and livable city” not just in
the Philippines but in the whole of Southeast Asia as well for so many years already, setting aside P2.1
billion for the purpose!
According to Ms. Arguillas’ report the P2.1 billion allocation for Peace and Order and Public Safety
Program (POPSP) represents 14.1 percent of the total P14 billion 2025 city government budget. The
offices doing POPSP are Office of the Public Safety and security, Peace 911 and the City Peace and Order
Council (CPOC). All these are under the Office of the City Mayor that has a total budget allocation of P5.1
billion.
The POPSP budget of P2.1 billion therefore is roughly 39.2 percent of the total P5.1 billion budget of the
City Mayor’s Office.
The next Department with the biggest slice of the 2025 budget is the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) which got some P1.1 billion or roughly 7.7 percent of the P14 billion 2025 local government budget. It is followed by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office with
P924.5 million; City Health Office with P869.7 million, and the City Environment and Natural Resources
Office (CENRO) with P867.9 million.
The same report by Mindanews’ Arguillas said that Davao City was categorically declared “rebel and
terrorists free" as early as 2022. How come that the budget for POPSP continued to increase from that
year up to the present? Is there certainty that rebel, terrorist and other criminal activities will resume if
the POPSP programs and projects were maintained at its 2022 level or curtailed a little?
And what is this amount of P535 million from the POPSP allocation intended for “donation”? To whom
should the donations taken from this amount be given? Imagine it is P103 times bigger than the P5.2
million allocations for support to persons with disabilities; twice the P255 million annual financial
assistance to all qualified senior citizens, and 3.6 times bigger than the P148.2 million budget of the City
Agriculturist Office!
Another intriguing disclosure in the Arguillas investigative report is the continuing hike in the amount
spent from confidential and intelligence budget. Think of this: P144 million in 2016; P293 million in
2017; P420 million in 2018; P460 million each year from 2019 to 2022. And in 2023 the Aeguillas
investigative report said the Commission on Audit (COA) found a P530 million confidential fund
expenditure, or an increase of P70 million from the P460 million in the last 4 years.
Now, based on the provision of the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) Memorandum
Circular No.99-65 “the use of funds for confidential and intelligence activities shall be limited to
purchase of information, payment of rewards, rental and other incidental expenses relative to the
maintenance of safe houses and purchase of supplies and ammunition, provision of medical and food
aid, as well as payment of incentives or travelling expense relative to the conduct of intelligence or
confidential operations.
We wonder if it is safe to conclude that the annual hike in expenses from intelligence and confidential
funds from 2016 to 2022 could have resulted to the waning rebel, terrorist and criminal activities during
that period until the city’s declaration as “rebel” and “terrorist-free.”
But why did the intelligence and confidential expenditures of the city increase at a period when the area
was enjoying a relatively peaceful situation?
And again, why is the city having so much for “donations” in its POPSP programs and projects for 2025?
Are the officials anticipating a “comeback” in the reign of terror and crimes this year?
So we could not blame some people if they ask whether the hike in the POPSP allocation is just a simple
coincidence with the local election, given the “donations” item in the budget.
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