Drilon criticizes gov't for prioritizing anti-insurgency funds over ‘ayuda’

With businesses and poor families likely to be badly affected by the coming enhanced community quarantine, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon criticized the government for prioritizing the release of anti-insurgency funds over cash assistance.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Drilon said the national government released the P16.3 billion worth of funds for the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) "up to the last centavo" while the cash assistance effort remained unfunded.

“It is obvious that the government is giving priority to anti-insurgency over the need for ayuda and other health and social needs of our country necessary for us to move forward with our pandemic response,” Drilon said.

Of the P16.3 billion, P4 billion went to the Davao Region.

The opposition lawmaker said the funds could have been used for the 4.2 million poor families who will be bearing the brunt of two weeks of yet another enhanced community quarantine.

“Nakakalungkot po na may pondo para sa anti-insurgency pero walang pondo para sa ayuda,” Drilon said over the radio program.

(It is sad that funds for anti-insurgency were made available but we have no funds for cash aid.)

Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque revealed that there are no guidelines yet for the distribution of cash assistance during the ECQ. Department of Budget and Management chief Wendel Avisado is also on medical leave due to a COVID-19 infection.  — DVM, GMA News