Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas “strongly opposed” the proposal to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“I firmly believe that the NTF-ELCAC’s budget will be a big boost to the development and infrastructure of barangays, especially those facing problems on communist insurgency,” Treñas said in a statement.
The mayor noted that through the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the government’s anti-insurgency task force, “barangays can utilize the P20-million incentive to fund buildings and facilities in their areas, and bring much-needed services to their residents.”
“I have always believed in empowering the barangays by enhancing their capabilities, and encouraging transparency and accountability at all times,” said Treñas.
“By having them implement programs and projects that truly benefit the grassroots, we give them the autonomy to govern their people well,” he added.
Several senators, including Franklin Drilon, are pushing to defund the NTF-ELCAC following its alleged red-tagging of community pantry organizers.
For 2021, the NTF-ELCAC has a P19-billion budget, with around P16 billion to be spent for its BDP as incentives for barangays that were cleared of insurgency threats.
Drilon urged President Rodrigo Duterte to realign the NTF-Elcac’s budget to fund the most critical “ayuda” to the poor.
“I am glad that my colleagues joined me in that call. But we do not have to wait for the 2022 budget debates to defund NTF-ELCAC. The President should realign the NTF-ELCAC under the 2021 [General Appropriations Act] now,” the Ilonggo senator said.IMT
