By LITO RULONA Correspondent NEARLY half of Mayor Oscar Moreno’s proposed P289-million budget for his office next year would be for confidential expenses, the head of the committee reviewing city hall’s proposed 2017 budget has revealed. The proposed confidential expenses budget includes Moreno’s intelligence funds for next year. Councilor Edna Dahino, chairperson of the finance committee, said Moreno’s proposed confidential expenses of P138 million have been approved by the committee. Dahino said it was a fair proposal given that Moreno only sought P238 million from his proposed P5.5-billion annual budget for the operations of the local chief executive’s office. She pointed out that previously, the mayor’s office was only given a P500-thousand budget for confidential expenses. City budget officer Percy Salazar said the proposed P138-million budget for confidential expenses was calculated based on the guidelines given by the Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). She said these guidelines are contained in Memorandum 2015-001 dated Jan.  8, 2015. Under the rule, a mayor is allowed to have confidential funds equivalent to 30 percent of the local government’s budget for peace and development or three percent of the general fund, said Salazar. In the case of city hall, the Moreno proposed P469 million for its peace and development program, 30 percent of which is P140 million. She said the Moreno administration opted for three percent of the P4.21-billion general fund of P138 million which is lower. Dahino said the peace and order development program would cover expenses for electricity. “Kung ngitngit naa diha ang crime,” she said. She said expenses for gender and development, and mental rehabilitation programs would also be covered by it. If approved by the city council, the Cagayan de Oro Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) would receive a P34-million aid from city hall next year, charged to the budget being sought for the mayor’s office. Salazar said the proposed P34-million aid to Cocpo includes the purchase of five pick-up trucks for police patrol and 35 motorcycles. She said the proposed peace and order development budget would also be used to  support police operations, including the Mayor’s Action Squad for Assistance (Masa), a police unit created by Moreno’s predecessor. It would cover expenses for monitoring operations of the Regulatory and Complaints Board (RCB),  the operations of the Barangay Assistance Center (BAC) and city hall’s security group. If approved, the budget would also cover for bonuses and cash gifts, maintenance, operating and travel expenses, and fuel costs, among others.