“These social media posts are deliberately misleading and maliciously presented by some personalities who seek to malign and tarnish the reputation of an institution currently taking a long, hard look at the nature of confidential and intelligence funds and the government agencies that deserve to have them,” said Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr.

“The Senate, for 2023, has no allocation for confidential funds,” he added. 

The Senate’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses in 2023 has three line items — confidential, intelligence, and extraordinary expenses.

According to Bantug, the unusual and miscellaneous costs have a line item of P331.9 million, while the confidential and intel item has none.