SENATE President Vicente ‘Tito Sen’ Sotto III is not keen to go along with the proposal of his colleagues in the minority to transfer the P16.4 billion ‘anti-insurgency fund’ proposed by Malacañang to boost the budget to address natural calamities, even as he confirmed that there are “leftist” elements in Philippine showbusiness.
“While we (Senate) agree to increase the calamity fund, the money should not be taken from there (P16.4 billion); ang daming ibang pagkukunan, huwag na nilang pag initan yung mga anti-insurgency sapagkat mabigat yun,” Sotto said.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Rissa Hontiveros, both members of the Liberal Party, which is a known political ally of communist front organizations, had earlier questioned the P16.4 billion the Palace requested for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for next year’s budget.
The amount is to be used by the government to support the rehabilitation and recovery of villages in remote areas of the country that are formerly bastions of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Earlier in Congress, the Makabayan Bloc, which was admitted by CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, as comprising the party’s “legal democratic forces” vainly tried to block approval of the task force’s budget and the budgets of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).
And at the Senate, the CPP front groups had apparently given the task to “defang” the task force’s work to their allies in the LP.
Like the MB, the LP is now using the devastation brought by Typhoon Rolly’ as an excuse to whittle down the task force’s budget to as little as possible.
But aside from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) not agreeing for lawmakers to further “touch” the budget proposal of Pres. Duterte, Sotto pointed out that clearing villages of insurgents is not enough.
“Ang isa sa mga hindi napapag-usapan, pagka nilinis mo ang isang area, palagay mo isang barangay or isang maliit na munisipyo or sitio, nilinis mo ng mga insurgents, ano, ganoon na lang?
“Hindi, kailangan lagyan mo yun ng eskuwelahan, lagyan mo yun ng livelihood, lagyan mo yun ng pagkakakitaan, ganoon yun, kung hindi, babalik at babalik sila (CPP-NPA).
“Yun ang pangloko nila sa mga kababayan natin, naghihirap kayo kasi dahil sa gobyerno… kaya ito (fund), doon ang punta noon, sa taong bayan ang punta noon, hindi sa sundalo ang punta noon, huwag silang mag-alala,” the Senate President stressed.
Asked if he intends to give members of the Philippine showbiz an advise about CPP-NPA infiltration similar to the advise given by Southern Luzon (Solcom) commander, Lt. General Antonio Parlade Jr., to actress Liza Soberano, Sotto said “there is no need” for it.
“They (those in showbiz) are already aware about it. Alam na alam nila yun, public knowledge sa showbiz yun… kung sino yung mga kaliwa doon. Hindi na bago ‘yun,” he added.