Press Release
May 29, 2006

Recto challenges spy agencies to neutralize
death squads killing leftist activists

With P1.8 billion in combined operating funds this year, eight intelligence agencies were told to get their acts together to identify and neutralize the death squads gunning down leftist activists.

This challenge to the spy community was hurled by Sen. Ralph Recto who said intelligence units could succeed where ordinary police units have failed.

Bagging the killers of the more than 100 Bayan Muna members is also a way by which these intelligence bodies can prove that they deserve every peso of their sizeable allocation this year, Recto said.

Find the killers and the taxpayers will say that theyre getting their moneys worth from intel groups, he said.

Intelligence groups should now step in to end the humiliation the police and military are getting from killers who are running circles around them, Recto said.

Because not one of the 100 recorded assassinations has been solved, the picture the public is getting is that of an inept police and military, Recto said.

Under the proposed P1.05 trillion 2006 national budget Malacanang wants Congress to approve, the Palace-based Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission tops the list of recipients with a proposed budget of P532.6 million.

Of this amount, P500 million is clearly specified in the budget for confidential and intelligence expenses that will be released upon approval of the President.

Another civilian body, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, is set to receive P259.1 million next year, while the National Security Council is proposed to be given P54.3 million for the same period.

The Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has a proposed budget of P264.6 million, tucked in the AFPs P45 billion proposed 2006 outlay.

Army intelligence has a proposed budget of P110.2 million; Naval intelligence, P176.5 million; and Air Force intelligence, P56.4 million. Their police counterpart, the PNP intelligence group, is set to receive P376.5 million, Recto said.

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