Manila, Sept. 24 -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday asked senators to restore its confidential funds to the 2026 level of about PHP1.1 billion, saying reduced resources could constrain information gathering, witness protection and operations against trafficking and cybercrime.

During the Senate deliberation on the DOJ's proposed 2027 budget, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the department hopes to retain this year's funding level instead of the roughly PHP579.4 million cited for next year.

"Ang amin pong hiling sana ay maibalik man lang yung 2026 level para hindi maapektuhan nang malaki (Our request is to at least restore the 2026 level so our operations will not be greatly affected)," Vida said.

The proposed allocati...