Senatorial bet Wilson Amad bats for CIF audit, others tackle major issues ahead of Eleksyon 2025

Senatorial candidates made the rounds in the provinces, attended forum, and posted their latest statements on social media less than two months before the May 2025 elections.

Independent candidate Wilson Amad proposed that expenses using confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) be audited while maintaining the result of the project classified.

“Yung intelligence funds, as my experience as an auditor dapat ito iaudit din by the so-called, yung mga tinatawasg confidential auditor. Halimbawa, gagawa ako ng project, yung parts na gagawin ko is dapat accounted for, but the result of the project should be confidential po,” Amad said.

(The intelligence funds should be audited by the so-called confidential auditors. For example, the parts of my project will be accounted for but the results should be confidential.)

Amad made the statement as he and fellow guests were asked how they would tackle corruption in government agencies, with the issue of confidential funds in the Department of Education (DepEd) as an example.

Aside from Amad, senatorial candidates France Castro, Luke Espiritu, and Jerome Adonis also attended the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands ECONOMIC COMPASS PILLAR 5 (ECOMP-P5) Dialogues: Senatorial Series.

For Castro, confidential funds must be abolished and the Freedom of Information Bill should be passed.

She added that the budget process should be open to the public from the committee briefing to the bicameral committee, as well as the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth of public officials and employees.

“Yan yung mga ways na pwede nating magawa na paisa-isa para yung accountability, transparency, integrity in the government service ay mas

House members earlier filed measures requiring disclosure of audit findings on confidential funds once flagged by state auditors and bills limiting tCIF allocation and disbursement. 

Meanwhile, Espiritu pushed for an Anti-Dynasty Law to stop corruption in the country.

“We must understand that the process of lawmaking does simply involve the lawmaker,” Espiritu said. “If I get to the Senate, I will use the office and the prestige of the Senate in order to organize a movement for it.”

While these proposals have yet to be implemented, Adonis said the national budget should be strictly monitored.

“Dapat magkaroon ng seryosong pagbabantay doon sa budget. Nag-uulat sila sa COA, irevisit natin yung ulat nila sa COA. Pag nakita sa Kongreso na hindi tama, immediately ipatawag ng mga committee hearings para ma address yan. Tapos, kasuhan sila doon sa Anti-Corruption Law, kasuhan sila sa Ombudsman,” Adonis said.  

(There should be a more serious monitoring of the budget. The government agencies are reporting to the Commission on Audit. Let us revisit their report. Once the Congress sees an anomaly, call for committee hearings, then file charges under the Anti-Corruption Law before the Ombudsman.)

Use of mother tongue, more accessible schools

With issues surrounding the education system in the country, Espiritu proposed to bring back the use of the mother tongue language in schools to improve the students' reading comprehension.

“For me, kelangan natin ibalik yung instruction sa native tongue. It doesn’t mean hindi tayo mag-ba-bilingual,” Espiritu said, adding that children can learn another language as a “specialized area later on.”

(For me, we need to bring back the use of the mother tongue in giving instructions to children. It doesn’t mean we will no longer be bilingual.)

In October 2024, the proposed measure that seeks to cease the use of mother tongue for Kindergarten to Grade 3 and provide for its optional implementation in monolingual classes lapsed into law. 

Meanwhile, Castro said if given a Senate seat, she would prioritize the budget in the education sector.

“My priority bill is to make education budget number one. Make it at least 6% of our gross domestic product. Meaning, dapat double yung ating budget sa education para mas mapunan ang kakulangan sa teachers, infrastructure, kelangan din mga bata ng technology (the education budget should be doubled to address the lack of teachers and infrastructures and provide technologies needed by students),” Castro said.

Amad said he would propose a measure to provide free education, meals, transportation, and boarding houses to students to ease their expenses.

Building more schools and universities in far-flung areas for more accessibility are the priorities of Adonis.

Campaigns

Independent senatorial bet Gringo Honasan was in Quezon for his campaign.

In a Facebook post, Honasan paid a courtesy call to the province's local officials.

A separate Facebook post also showed that Honasan met with former Vice President Leni Robredo, who was also in the province for a campaign rally for Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.

Meanwhile, Ben Tulfo met with over 300,000 tricycle drivers in Barangay Chrysanthemum, San Pedro, Laguna on Thursday.

Makabayan

Four senatorial bets of the Makabayan coalition campaigned in Naga City, Camarines Sur today by calling for independent foreign policy, significant wage increases, among others.

Former Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza vowed to push for an independent foreign policy such as the Philippines' withdrawal from unequal treaties such as the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and the Mutual Defense Treaty, among others, which she identified as disadvantageous to the Philippines.

Maza, however, said the Philippines should rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Alyn Andamo, a nurse, pushed for increased salaries for health workers in public and private health facilities.  She said the starting salary of nurses should be at least P50,000.

Mimi Doringo of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, vowed to legislate measures addressing poverty.

Moro activist Amirah Lidasan vowed to push for measures promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and the speeding up of the rehabilitation of Marawi City held under siege by Maute terrorists in 2017.

Ramon Rescovilla represented transport leader Mody Floranda in their Naga sortie and vowed to abolish the jeepney modernization program and instead push for national industrialization in transportation.—With Llanesca Panti/LDF, GMA Integrated News

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