Recto: NHA shouldn't build houses for AFP, PNP personnel

Building houses for the police and military should not be part of the mandate of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Wednesday.

"Yung AFP, PNP dapat nasa formal sector 'yan because may sweldo 'yan eh. I don't think there is a need for NHA to build homes for them but they should be able to borrow from PAG-IBIG and let the private sector build the homes so that they can choose where they want to live," Recto said during the hearing on the proposed P3.98 billion budget of the housing sector agencies for 2021.

"I think the mandate of the NHA should be for informal settlers, 'yung mga walang sweldo. That's how it should work. 'Yung walang sweldo, 'yung nakatira sa estero, 'yung nakatira kung saan-saan, 'yun ang tutulungan ng NHA," he added.

Based on the presentation during the hearing, P23.36 billion has been earmarked by the NHA for its AFP-PNP Housing Program but none of it was not endorsed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the national expenditure program.

Of the original P63.7 billion budget request of the agency for 2021, only P3.7 billion was approved by the DBM.

The said approved amount is allocated for the resettlement of informal settlers affected by the Supreme Court's mandamus to clean up the Manila Bay area and for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program.

According to NHA's official website, the AFP-PNP Housing Program is intended to provide "affordable housing to low-salaried personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippines National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire and Protection, and the Bureau of Corrections."—LDF, GMA News