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No new law to replace soon-to-be-abolished AUKU, says PM Anwar

AYER KEROH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not permit the tabling of any laws to replace the soon to be abolished the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (AUKU) meant to restrict student freedom.

Gatchalian on 2027 budget: No more confidential, intel funds to non-enforcement government agencies

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday, August 16 said the Senate will strictly implement a no confidential and intelligence fund policy to non-enforcement government agencies to avoid a repeat or possible abuse of these funds in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. “We will not allow that agencies that have no business having confidential funds would be given these funds. As a rule, if you are not an enforcement agency, you are not the Armed Forces or uniformed personnel agency, then you shouldn’t have access to confidential and intelligence funds (CFIs),” said Gatchalian, in an interview on Radio DZBB. And being a non-enforcement agency, the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) would no longer be given access to CFIs. “Not only OVP and DepEd but the other civilian agencies as well. As a rule, we will not allow granting confidential funds to them. But if they insist and say that they really need it, then they have to justify them thoroughly and we will scrutinize their request,” said Gatchalian, who previously headed the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate chief said agencies such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are allowed to have CIFs because they are enforcement and intelligence agencies. The Office of the President, he also said, will be entitled to CIFs considering that the President possesses both civilian and enforcement authority. “For example, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC): the very entity that dismantled the POGO operations—which serves as one of the President's enforcement arms; we have seen how effective that is. “There is also a presidential anti-corruption arm that gathers information regarding corruption; indeed, the office maintains such special units. These are the special units that require CIFs,” he explained. “Furthermore, the President is the head of our military personnel—the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Consequently, the President requires intelligence and confidential funds, given that he is the supreme leader of all military and uniformed personnel,” Gatchalian pointed out. Currently, the Senate Impeachment Court is looking into Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of CIFs for the OVP and the DepEd, which was then under her control. Commission on Audit (COA) officials have testified over what they called “unusual” names of recipients of confidential funds from the two agencies, and is also considering conducting a “fraud audit” on the use of the CIFs by the OVP and DepEd. State auditors also said they consider the OVP’s spending of P125-million in confidential funds within 11 days “irregular,” noting that the camp of the Vice President failed to comply with the necessary supporting documents that would prove the success of their alleged security operations.

Glasgow’s Scottie dog art trail

Doctor visits fail to stop Aliff, Izzah wins too as Selangor debutants shine

PETALING JAYA: It was a double joy for the Selangor silat team as two of their young debutants enjoyed a dream start to their Sukma campaigns by striking gold on Sunday (Aug 16).