Progressive solons hit NTF-ELCAC's plan to ask more funds in 2022 budget

Members of the Makabayan bloc on Thursday denounced the plan of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to seek more funds for its barangay development program.

It was Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who disclosed that the anti-insurgency task force wants to expand its barangay development program funding to P40 billion in 2022.

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro questioned why the task force is seeking more funds when it could not even explain its budget utilization for 2021.

"Sobrang kapal ng mukha ni Secretary Año na magrerequest pa raw ng P40 billion para sa NTF-ELCAC, ito ngang P19 billion na budget ng NTF-ELCAC sa ngayon ay hindi nila maipaliwanag," Castro said.

(Secretary Año is so shameless. He said the NTF-ELCAC would request a P40 billion when it couldn't even explain the P19 billion budget in 2021.)

For her part, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat claimed that the 2021 budget for the NTF-ELCAC were just utilized to red tag and arrest activists and those from poor communities.

"Walang kahihiyan ang DILG para humingi pa ng dagdag na P40 bilyong pondo. Busog na busog na ang mga heneral sa P19.1 bilyong pisong budget ng NTF-ELCAC na ginagamit lamang nila sa panreredtag, pag-aresto ng aktibista at mahihirap na mga mamamayan lalo na sa mga kanayunan," she said.

(The DILG is so shameless for asking for additional funds for 2021. The generals were already full with the P19.1 billion budget that was only used for red tagging and arresting activists and those from the poor sector.)

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago, meanwhile, reiterated that the task force should instead be abolished because of its attacks against critics of the government.

"Hindi lang 'yan dapat idefund, dapat na 'yang iabolish dahil po sa dami at lalim ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao at mga atake ka sa mga mamamayan na nagpapahayag ng hinaing sa gitna ng pandemic," said Elago.

(The NTF-ELCAC should not just be defunded but abolished because of its attacks against critics of the government.)

In 2021, the barangay development program of the NTF-ELCAC received a total budget of P16.44 billion to develop 822 barangays. This aims to address insurgency by bringing sustainable solutions and basic services to concerned communities.

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco expressed support in providing additional funds for NTF-ELCAC.—AOL, GMA News