A staggering P500 million-worth of insertion in the intelligence fund of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for 2025 was made by a person who also ‘requested 3,000 containers of fish,’ according to Interior and Local Government chief Jonvic Remulla.
Remulla made the revelation at a Senate subpanel on finance’s Thursday hearing on the proposed 2026 funding of the DILG and its attached agencies.
‘We returned it because it was an insertion in the budget and the insertion came from the person who requested 3,000 containers of fish,’ said Remulla. While Remulla did not particularly identify the person behind the P500-million-worth insertion, it can be noted that Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel Jr. earlier revealed that former Representative Zaldy Co tried to force him to issue a permit to import fish worth 3,000 containers for three companies-including one named ZC Victory Fishing Corporation.
His explanation came after he was asked by panel on finance chairperson Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian why the PNP had a P1.3 million intelligence fund in 2025 and only 800 million in 2026. Remulla explained that the ‘additional P500 million’ was an insertion they did not use in 2025. He said they only followed the National Expenditure Program-the so-called President’s budget.
According to Remulla, they returned the budget because they found no use for it.
‘We did not ask for it, so we returned it,’ said Remulla.
In a press briefing in Malacañang in January, Remulla disclosed that various PNP IT projects incurred significant budget cuts in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. Remulla said that while there were significant budget cuts, he noted that nearly P1 billion was allocated for the purchase of all-terrain amphibious vehicles for the Bicol Region while P500 million was added to the PNP’s intelligence fund.