Makabayan solons question P1.58-B counter-insurgency funding for Davao City

Members of the House Makabayan Bloc on Thursday questioned the reported allocation of P1.58 billion of counter-insurgency funds under the proposed 2021 allocation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to several barangays in Davao City.

In a press conference, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said there seems to be no armed conflict in Davao City to warrant such huge amount of counter-insurgency funding.

"Nakakapagtaka sa Davao City yung nilaan na P1.58 billion. Sana nabusisi natin ito nakita natin ano ba yung pangangailangan," she said.

"Bakit merong anti-insurgency fund dito sa isang siyudad na siguro nung last time na nagpunta ako, very peaceful at maayos at tingin natin wala namang problem?" she added.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported earlier this week that 79 barangays in Davao City would receive P1.58 billion under the proposed P16.44 billion allocated for the NTF-ELCAC's "barangay development program."

NTF-ELCAC vice chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. earlier claimed that under this program, a total of 822 barangays that were cleared of insurgency would receive P20 million each.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite also expressed concern over the allocation of the said funds to Davao City and maintained his earlier claim that this could be used for the 2022 elections.

"Nakakabahala na obviously hindi lang ito simpleng general's pork kasi ang pipili kung saan mapupunta, of course may kinalaman din ito sa mga susunod na halalan. Alam niyo naman na 2022 ay halalan," he said.

"The more pork na meron ang isang lugar o isang area, the more beneficial in aid of election or reelection," he added.

Gaite reiterated that these funds should instead be used for relief operations for the victims of the recent typhoons.

For her part, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Eufemia Cullamat said the problem of insurgency can be solved not by allocating funds to barangays but through peace negotiations and finding the proper solution.

"Kahit ilang milyon na ilagay natin na budget, kung hindi yan ang tamang solusyon sa problema, talagang hindi ma-resolve ang problema," she said.

"Sana ang budget na ito ay ilagay sa usapang pangkapayapaan. Kahit ano man ang problema, maliit man o malaki, kailangan itong pag-usapan para makita natin kung ano talaga ang dapat gawin," she added.

Esperon has already denied that the P16.44 billion fund set aside for the barangay development program would be utilized to advance political interests in the 2022 elections.

“Malayo po sa isip namin 'yon. Dahil unang-una itong 822 barangays ay matagal na pong na-clear ito tulad nang naipakita namin ay na-clear ito ng 2016 to 2019. Dito na lang tayo nagkaroon ng pagkakataon para madala itong mga projects na ito," he said in a press briefing in September.

"And so, kailangan bang mag-antay pa tayo ng mas matagal na panahon upang madala itong mga projects na ito? Huwag naman sana," he added. —KBK, GMA News