The Senate will inquire more into the intelligence funds of some government owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) during the continuation of its hearing into the purported exorbitant perks and allowances.

This development came up after Senate Finance Committee, in its previous hearing, found out that some of the corporations like the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is utilizing P5 million of corporate funds for “intelligence” activities.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, head of the committee, in an interview said the Senate would look into the feasibility of realigning the budget of the GOCCs so as to prevent it from being abused.

“We will study that but as it is I was not privy to the budget during the previous (Arroyo) administration,” Drilon said in a radio interview.

SBMA chair Armand Arreza has been identified by the Commission on Audit (COA) as the highest paid GOCC official in the last hearing with a total earnings of P26.865 million in 2009 last year despite it being a losing corporation.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, said the Senate can tap the intelligence oversight committee to also deal with the issue.

Honasan also said there is a need to reassess which government agencies should be entitled to intelligence funds.

“We ought to examine closely again the laws that are related to the appropriation and  use of intelligence funds,” Honasan said.

Earlier, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile suggested that the President give up its intelligence funds and distribute these to other agencies.

Supposedly, only agencies that are part of the government’s law enforcement should be entitled to it.

“If I am to read the Senate President correctly: does the President need intelligence funds aside from what it already has, discretionary funds? But the situation, being almost everything is information-driven, that has to be a judgment call on the part of the Executive branch,” Honasan said.