Malacañang is studying the proposal made by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for President Noynoy Aquino to forego his annual intelligence fund to save government resources.

If the intelligence funds are deemed waste of public money, Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office assured the President would not hesitate to take the budget cut.

“We are reviewing the current status of those funds. The present administration just inherited such funds. We are reviewing the fund, including where it will be used in response to the appeal of Senator Enrile,” he said in a press conference in the Palace.

He said the President and the Department of Budget and Management should be given time to conduct a “proper review” of the intelligence fund based on his “general principle” against wasteful spending. We will not tolerate wasteful use of government fund. If that will be discovered in relation to this (intelligence) fund, that principle will be applied,” he said.

In conducting the review of the intel fund, Coloma said they are aware of “questions about transparency and accountability” of the government in the use of the allocation.

“The question is the proper and rightful disposition of the fund,” he said. “Most of these were considered as highly confidential in nature and avoided full disclosure. Some even invoked national security,” he added.

Senator Enrile had earlier urged the President to give up his intelligence fund and allocate the money to other agencies. He said only government agencies involved in security should receive intelligence funds.

The Office of the President reportedly has an annual intelligence fund of P500 million.

The Aquino government is expected to submit to Congress this week its proposed R1.645-trillion national budget. The proposed budget calls for several belt-tightening measures, including a moratorium on construction of buildings as well as government purchases of vehicles, to cut costs.

The government plans to raise additional revenues in a bid to reduce the budget deficit, which is estimated to hit P325 billion this year.