Esperon defends P1.58-B counter-insurgency funding for Davao City

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Friday said the priority areas allotted with barangay development funds in Davao City were carefully scrutinized.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan Bloc questioned the reported allocation of P1.58 billion counter-insurgency funds under the proposed 2021 budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to some barangays in Davao City, noting that there seems to be no armed conflict in the area.

In a press statement, Esperon, vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, said regional counterparts of concerned national government agencies have verified that the areas chosen in Davao City are vulnerable to the threat of communist groups.

"The NTF-ELCAC intends to ensure that the projects in these priority areas are sustainable. Thus, to prevent the NPA from exploiting these communities, communities threatened by the influence of the armed rebels were included in the final list of priority areas," Esperon said.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as the local operating units of national government agencies have validated the need for development programs," he added.

Citing data from security forces, Esperon noted that the Davao region is supposedly a recruitment and training ground of the New People's Army rebels.

"There are 11 ethnic tribes of indigenous peoples in Davao City alone whose children are vulnerable to recruitment. In fact, eight out of ten NPAs in Eastern Mindanao have been recruited from indigenous peoples," he said.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer earlier reported that 79 barangays in Davao City would receive P1.58 billion.

According to Esperon, school buildings are needed in Davao City to replace the Salugpungan schools illegally operating in the area. He said the Department of Education intends to establish legitimate schools in the city.

He earlier said under the program, a total of 822 barangays that were cleared of insurgency across the country would receive P20 million each to help them develop.

He said the funds would not be utilized to advance political interests in the 2022 elections.—AOL, GMA News