No need to ‘rush’ audit of NTF-ELCAC budget—Sotto

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III believes there is no need to “rush” the audit of the P16.4 billion allocation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), despite the call of some of his colleagues in the Upper Chamber.

In an interview with the Senate media last May 6, 2021 via Zoom, Sotto noted that the Senate shall have the opportunity to scrutinize the task force’s budget spending in relation to its ‘Barangay Development Program’ (BDP), as the discussion for next year’s budget proposal by all government agencies and departments nears.

“Siguro during the budget deliberations pagdating ng – talaga namang binubusisi naman talaga iyon eh at lahat ng mga pondo ng mga departamento or programa na kontrobersyal ay binubusisi naman talaga so hindi naman nakakapagtaka sabihin na bubusisiin iyon.

“Pero bubusisiin nila iyon pagsubmit nung budget sa amin para sa 2022,” Sotto said.

As reported by Pinoy Exposé (Issue No. 17), the move for an “special audit” initiated by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon (Liberal Party) of the BDP fund disbursement is a maneuver leading to his call for the ‘defunding’ of the task force.

Last year, despite opposition from the communist bloc (Makabayan Bloc) in Congress and their LP allies in the Senate headed by Drilon, the NTF-ELCAC was given a budget of over P19 billion, the bulk of which, P16.4 billion are to be used for the BDP.

The BDP is the government’s centerpiece program under the ‘Whole of Nation, Whole of Government’ (WON/WOG) strategy, to finally defeat the 5-decades old communist insurgency.

For this year, the BDP targets to support and develop 822 remote villages all over the country that were former strongholds of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NJPA).

Despite Congress deciding to support the BDP, Drilon and the communists in and out of Congress have continued with their campaign to defund and discredit the task force.

As part of their campaign, Drilon filed a resolution calling for the defunding of the NTF-ELCAC over a remark made last April 22, 2021 by one of its spokespersons, Lt. General Antonio ‘Jun’ Parlade, also Southern Luzon area commander. Twisting Parlade’s remark out of context, Drilon has managed to gather the support of some of his fellow senators.

However, as also reported by Pinoy Exposé, the effort to defund the task force has drawn widespread opposition, especially in the provinces, which have been bearing the brunt of communist aggression and acts of terrorism.

In his television and social media broadcast last April 27, 2021, respected evangelist and preacher, Apollo Quiboloy, chided Drilon’s group if they know the “consequence” of their decision.

“Do you not see the consequence of your decision,” asked Quiboloy.

Accordingly, the BDP budget allocation, according to Badoy is as follows: Region 11, P4.3 billion; Region 13, P3.82 billion; Region 10, P2.38 billion; Region 6, P1.48 billion; Region 12, P1.24 billion; Region 5, P180 million; Region 9, P862 million; Region 4A, P600 million; Region 4B, P500 million; CAR, P160 million; Region 2 and Region 8, P120 million each; Region 1, P40 million; and, Region 3, P20 million.

“Maghihirap na naman ang mga barangay, sasalakay na naman doon ang NPA-NDF, mananakot, magte-terrorize na naman, gusto ninyo ‘yun… para lang sumikat kayo,” asked the influential pastor based in Mindanao and whose support and “blessing” is also being sought by politicians.

“Mag-isip isip kayo mga senador, mga kabigan ko pa naman kayo,” Quiboloy added.

In his interview, Sotto also defended the NTF-ELCAC, saying its ‘all of nation’ approach in dealing with CPP-NPA terrorism is “very important” and that the claim being spread by the LP and their communist allies that the money goes into the pocket of NTF officials is “wrong.”

“Napakahalaga nung ano eh, napaka – ang tingin ko napakahalaga kasi nung all of nations approach nung NTF-ELCAC eh.

“At tsaka ito naman, diretso ito sa mga LGU eh. Hindi naman ito dumadaan doon sa task force eh.

“Mali nga ang (pagkaalam) ng iba eh. Akala nung iba yung NTF or yung National Task Force ang naghahandle nung budget at sila yung nagdidisperse. Hindi, mga LGU yan.

“Nago-oversee lang diyan ang chairman yung President of the Philippines at tsaka yung vice chair yung National Security Adviser…

“Madaling mamintas eh pero tingnan mo muna, yung ayuda ang gulo ng listahan ng DSWD hindi nagva-vibes sa listahan ng LGU, alright.

“Itong NTF-ELCAC, direkta, 37 provinces.

“Alam na alam kung anu-ano yung 37 provinces na iyon na lahat yan ay dumadaan sa LGU na coordinated yan with DPWH, PNP, DBM, NICA,” Sotto explained further.

Presidential communication undersecretary and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, Lorraine Badoy, for her part, volunteered to give the breakdown of the BDP projects in order to spare Drilon and his misguided colleagues the effort of scrutinizing this early the BDP’s fund disbursement.

Guesting at the ‘Meet the Press/Report to the Nation’ media forum of the National Press Club (NPC) last April 7, 2021, Badoy also stressed that the process of allocating the budget allocation for the initial set of 822 barangay beneficiaries has been made as early as last year and was completed only last March 2021.

Badoy also noted that the size of the budget for every region reflects the former size of terrorist influence in their respective areas.

Accordingly, the BDP budget allocation, according to the official, is as follows: Region 11, P4.3 billion; Region 13, P3.82 billion; Region 10, P2.38 billion; Region 6, P1.48 billion; Region 12, P1.24 billion; Region 5, P180 million; Region 9, P862 million; Region 4A, P600 million; Region 4B, P500 million; CAR, P160 million; Region 2 and Region 8, P120 million each; Region 1, P40 million; and, Region 3, P20 million.