More lawmakers want audit of NTF-ELCAC budget, threaten to realign org's budget

Disgusted by the alleged red-tagging spree by its officials, several lawmakers from the House of Representatives are calling for an audit of the budget of the the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

The lawmakers issued their separate statements following pronouncements from NTF-ELCAC spokespersons Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, Jr. and Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy suggesting communist ties of community pantries that give out free supply of food and  essential goods to the public amid the global pandemic. 

In a press statement issued Friday, Deputy Speaker Michael Romero is pushing for a congressional inquiry into how NTF-ELCAC is utilizing its budget for fiscal year 2021.

"We want NTF-ELCAC officials to give details as to where and how the funds are being used and how their vilification tactics translate to having more communist rebels turning their backs on insurgency," Romero said, adding that Congress may realign the budget to more urgent needs if the task force fails to support its claims.

“The rampant unlawful profiling and obvious red-tagging of organizers of community pantries by officials of the NTF-ELCAC are simply too wicked to be ignored by the Members of this august chamber,” Romero said.

He said the bulk of the NTF-ELCAC budget could be rechanneled to giving more direct financial aid to the unemployed workers displaced by the pandemic, upgrading contact tracing abilities, and providing more hospital beds.

"Some may also go to the upgrading the capabilities of our armed forces and the Philippine Coast Guard to guard our maritime borders," he said.

He said attributing malice without evidence would only sow division and would send a chilling effect to Filipinos who also want to help others in this crisis.

Special audit

Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Representative Juliette Uy also asked the Commission on Audit and the National Privacy Commission to immediately conduct their respective special audits on the NTF-ELCAC.

"'Yung Congressional investigation supported by the findings of COA and Privacy Commission, maaaring magbunsod sa rechanneling ng NTF-ELCAC to augment COVID-19 response of the government o pagbuwag sa NTF-ELCAC altogether, depende sa kalalabasan ng imbestigasyon,” she said.

(The House inquiry, supported by the findings of COA and NPC, can result in rechanneling the funds of NTF-ELCAC to augment the government's COVID-19 response or to abolish the task force.)

"The audits are fact-finding measures consistent with the oversight authority of Congress as provided in the 1987 Constitution,” she added.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, on the other hand, also wants the budget of the task force to be reviewed.

"The recent actions of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (spokesman) Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade against community pantry organizers is an impetus to Congress and Malacañang to review the use of NTF-ELCAC’s 19 billion peso budget," she said.

"The random suspicion of communist threats without sufficient basis is evidence of poor utilization of available funds," she added.

Defunding NTF-ELCAC

For his part, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the NTF-ELCAC is the one politicizing community pantries, claiming that Parlade's camp seemed to have political ambitions.

"Sinasabi nila huwag i-politicize itong community pantries na ito pero sa katotohanan, sila po ang nagpupulitika dito. Gagamitin pa nila ito para lalo pang itulak 'yung kanilang mapanira na counter insurgency program," Zarate said in a virtual briefing.

(They are saying not to politicize community pantries but in reality, they are the ones politicizing it. They will use it for their counter insurgency program.)

"Gagamitin nila ito sa pamumulutika lalong lalo na itong si General Parlade na about to retire next year at may mga political ambitions 'yung grupo niya [They will use it especially that General Parlade, who is about to retire next year, has political ambitions]," Zarate added.

Zarate said the anti-communist insurgency task force is "hijacking" the community pantries, an initiative that started out on a street in Quezon City and quickly spread throughout the country and abroad.

"Ngayon nga gusto nilang i-hijack ito at gamitin sa kanilang twisted counter insurgency operations laban sa underground movement," Zarate said.

(They want to hijack the community pantries and use it in their twisted counter insurgency operations against the underground movement.)

Zarate and his colleagues from the Makabayan Bloc also called for the defunding of NTF-ELCAC and instead utilize the budget to assist those affected by the health crisis.

Realign to ayuda

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite echoed Zarate's remark that the NTF-ELCAC has a hidden political agenda in "red tagging" community pantry organizers.

"Tingnan niyo how sinister this government is, they demonized the community pantry, slandered, terrorized, and red-tagged its organizers, tapos ngayon sila daw ang magbubukas ng mga community pantry," Gaite said in the same briefing.

(Look at how sinister this government is. They demonized the community pantry, slandered, terrorized, and red-tagged its organizers, and now they will open their own pantries.)

"Ayan pala ang kanilang agenda, to co-opt the initiative of the masses, at gamitin sa pagpapabango nila. Eh di sila pala ang may hidden political agenda," he added.

(That's their agenda, to co-opt the initiative of the masses and use it for their own agenda. It's them who have a hidden political agenda afterall.)

Gaite also challenged the NTF-ELCAC to make an accounting of its own budget instead of questioning the donations given to the Maginhawa community pantry that was initiated by Ana Patricia Non.

For her part, Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said the P19-billion fund of the NTF-ELCAC must be used in the proposed P10,000 cash aid that will be given to families amid the pandemic.

"Malinaw na nasasayang at nawawaldas lang ang 19-B sa NTF-ELCAC. Dapat ilipat na ang NTF-ELCAC general’s pork sa direktang ayuda tulad ng 10K cash aid kada pamilya," she said.

(It is clear that the P19 billion fund of the NTF-ELCAC is being wasted. It should be realigned to fund the P10,000 cash aid for families.)

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Bienvenido "Benny" Abante filed a resolution seeking to reallocate the P16-billion budget of the NTF-ELCAC's barangay development projects to subsidy programs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Labor and Employment.

He said NTF-ELCAC's continued red tagging of certain personalities is inconsistent with its mandate to enforce a "whole of nation" approach to combating communist insurgency.

"Given the gravity of the problems brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of the inability of NTF-ELCAC to properly perform its functions, the government should prioritize efforts to provide financial assistance and other forms of support to our countrymen who have no sources of income or have limited means as a result of the pandemic," he said.

Malacañang

Earlier, Malacañang rejected the call of some senators to defund the government’s anti-insurgency task force and insisted that the people will benefit from it.

Parlade had denied red-tagging individuals, but admitted they are checking out the background of organizers of community pantries.

In a separate post, Badoy had said the NTF-ELCAC is delighted by the cropping up of community pantries but slammed communist groups for supposedly inventing the term "red-tagging."

Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño earlier said that pantries should have permits given the threat from the COVID-19 pandemic. But his statement was later shot down by his superior, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, who saw no need for such permits.

Año also ordered police and local government officials not to interfere with community pantries organized by private individuals. -MDM, GMA News