IBON hits ‘misplaced priorities’ in proposed 2022 budget: Big funds for NTF-ELCAC, small for aid

Think tank IBON Foundation on Wednesday expressed its dismay over what it says are misplaced priorities in the proposed 2022 national budget, which increased the allocation for the anti-insurgency task force as well as confidential and intelligence funds while allocating smaller amounts for aid programs.

In an online press conference, Sonny Africa, the organization's executive director, pointed out the P11-billion increase in the proposed budget for the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2022 amid the pandemic.

During his presentation, Africa pointed out that NTF-ELCAC received a P1.03-billion budget in 2020, P19.33 billion in 2021, and P30.46 billion in 2022.

He also said the confidential and intelligence funds of the government rose to P8.90 billion in 2020, P9.38 billion in 2021, and P8.56 billion in the National Expenditure Program for 2022. The NEP is submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress to help lawmakers deliberate funds for government agencies.

"'Yung paglaki at pag-maintain ng budget, ano kinalaman niyan sa pandemya? [The increase and maintaining of this budget, what is its relation to the pandemic?]" Africa posed the question.

Africa also took note of the budget increase despite alleged human rights violations in the government's anti-insurgency programs.

The NTF-ELCAC's proposed budget is also in contrast to the slashed proposed budget for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), an institution on the forefront of the COVID-19 fight.

Screencap from CureCOVID video

No funds for cash aid of poor, displaced workers

IBON Foundation also pointed out that there were zero funds allocated for the social amelioration program, the Abot Kamay Ang Pagtulong (AKAP) Program, and the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), both in 2021 national budget as well as the 2022 proposed national budget.

This is compared to the 2020 national budget and the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws, which allocated P206 billion to SAP, P4.7 billion to AKAP, and P9.4 billion to CAMP.

It also said there is a "small and token" increase for the Department of Social and Welfare Development, Department of Labor and Employment and  Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) emergency assistance programs, which is still low considering there are still millions of distressed families in the country.

For DSWD, its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps received a budget increase to P115.67 billion in 2022 from this year's P106 billion while social pension for seniors went up to P23.5 billion from P23.4 billion in 2021.

OWWA's social protection program for OFWs raised from P7 billion this year to P12 billion in proposed 2022 budget.

Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) under DOLE  increased from P19 billion to P21 billion.

Updated figures from a House hearing held Aug. 26 on the proposed 2022 budget showed that NTF-ELCAC's proposed budget for next year is at P28 billion, which is P11.66 billion increase from P16.4 billion this year.

In 2020, NTF-ELCAC received P1.7 billion of its funds.

The DBM has said it will defer the budget of NTF-ELCAC to Congress. — BM, GMA News