How much Northern Mindanao cities, provinces set aside for confidential funds

Illustration by Sam Calleja/Rappler Cagayan de Oro leads Northern Mindanao in confidential and intelligence fund allocations in 2023 and 2024, while Bukidnon has the lowest. With Iligan, Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental, the four account for nearly 80% of the region's allocations. Cagayan de Oro was the highest spender on confidential and intelligence funds in Northern Mindanao for 2023 and 2024, allocating P450 million, while Bukidnon had the lowest at P2.648 million. Overall, Northern Mindanao's cities and provinces increased their confidential and intelligence fund allocations from P527.7 million in 2023 to P646.3 million in 2024, raising concerns about transparency and potential misuse of these funds. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro was Northern Mindanao‘s biggest spender of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in 2023 and 2024, setting aside a total of P450 million during that period under Mayor Rolando Uy, Commission on Audit (COA) data showed. At the other end was Bukidnon province, which set aside some P2.648 million over the same period under Governor Rogelio Neil Roque, the lowest among the region’s cities and provinces. Along with Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City and the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental were the three top CIF spenders, together accounting for nearly 80% of the over P1.1 billion in confidential and intelligence funds allocated by Northern Mindanao’s cities and provinces in 2023 and 2024. Cagayan de Oro allocated a combined P450 million for CIF in 2023 and 2024; Iligan City, P94.5 million, Misamis Oriental, P210 million; and Misamis Occidental, P156 million. Together, the four accounted for more than P910 million of the region’s more than P1 billion total allocations during the two-year period. Cagayan de Oro’s confidential fund rose to P250 million in 2024 from P200 million in 2023, a 25% increase. Overall, cities and provinces in Northern Mindanao raised their confidential and intelligence fund allocations to P646.3 million in 2024 from P527.7 million in 2023. The figures exclude Northern Mindanao’s 84 municipalities, whose mayors are also allowed by law to maintain such funds. Iligan City, the region’s second-biggest city spender, increased its allocation to P54 million in 2024 from P40.5 million in 2023 under Mayor Frederick Siao. In Bukidnon province, Valencia City had a confidential fund of P22 million in 2023 and another P22 million in 2024 under then-mayor Azucena Huervas. The city had intelligence funds which ballooned to P11.9 million in 2024 from P6.584 million in 2023. The COA report on Valencia also showed that the city government had P22 million in confidential fund cash advances that had remained unliquidated for 10 years. El Salvador, one of Misamis Oriental’s component cities, increased its allocation to P14 million in 2024 from P10 million under Mayor Edgar Lignes. In eastern Misamis Oriental, Gingoog City set aside P21 million in 2024 under Mayor Erick Cañosa. The COA report on Gingoog did not show an allocation in 2023. Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental nearly doubled its allocation to P20.329 million in 2024 from P10.484 million under Mayor Lemuel Meyrick Acosta. Still in Misamis Occidental, Ozamiz City raised its allocation to P22.5 million from P20 million, while Tangub City increased its allocation to P15.997 million from P11.645 million. Bukidnon’s capital, Malaybalay City, went the other way, reducing its allocation under Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran to P900,000 in 2024 from P2.203 million in 2023. Misamis Oriental was the biggest CIF spender among Northern Mindanao’s provinces, raising its allocation under then-governor Peter Unabia to P110 million in 2024 from P100 million in 2023. Misamis Occidental kept its allocation at P78 million under Governor Henry Oaminal. Lanao del Norte, under then-governor Imelda Dimaporo, slashed its allocation to P11.25 million from P15 million during the period, before she was succeeded by her son Khalid. The mother, who is now Lanao del Norte representative, and son traded positions in 2025. The island province of Camiguin set aside P12 million for CIF in 2024, up from P10 million in 2023 under Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo. In total, the small five-town province had P22 million in CIF during the 2023-2024 period. The landlocked province of Bukidnon increased its allocation slightly to P1.395 million in 2024 from P1.253 million in 2023. Even so, its combined allocation remained the lowest among Northern Mindanao’s cities and provinces during that period. The country has 18 administrative regions, 82 provinces, 33 highly urbanized cities, 116 other cities and 1,493 municipalities. The law allows governors and mayors to maintain confidential and intelligence funds, which they can spend at their discretion, subject to state auditing rules. Critics, however, say the apparent laxity in auditing such funds and the lack of transparency surrounding them make such public money vulnerable to misuse and corruption. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading