The chairman of the House committee on appropriations on Tuesday used the communist threat to justify restoring P10 billion in the budget of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), as well as the confidential intelligence funds (CIF) of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Ako-Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co said the decision of the House to restore DepEd’s CIF—which the Senate had removed—aims to “secure the future” of Filipino children.
“That’s the decision of the House because it would be more difficult if our children are recruited and led to the wrong path. So we want the DepEd to spearhead (the effort) to secure the future of our children,” he said.
Co, who is also the representative of Ako Bicol Party-list, said school children — especially in the provinces — are being targeted for recruitment by rebel groups.
“Our young students should be taught early in life about the perils of joining illegal organizations whose aim is to overthrow the duly-constituted government,” he said.
The House has similar reasons for restoring the budget of the anti-insurgency group NTF-ELCAC.
“Many of those in cities and urban areas do not appreciate efforts to end the insurgency. But those in the countryside are sick and tired of oppressive revolutionary taxes, destruction of infrastructure, power lines and cell towers. Often, poor farmers and fishers are even forced to give the food on their table to the rebels,” Co said.
Co said the work of NTF-ELCAC to help end insurgency and improve barangays in the countryside is much appreciated. “That’s why we supported the restoration of the agency’s budget. They play an indispensable role in rural communities,” he said.
The NTF-ELCAC has come under frequent criticism for red-tagging critics of the government, accusing them of being communists without proof.
But Senator Ronald dela Rosa has expressed his gratitude to the bicameral conference committee for restoring the agency’s budget.
The Support to the Barangay Development Program of the NTF-ELCAC Fund under the General Appropriations Act is intended to be used for 959 cleared barangays as certified by the NTF-ELCAC.
Each cleared barangay will be allocated an amount to be used for farm-to-market roads; school buildings; a water and sanitation system; health stations; and electrification.
In the reconciled version of the 2023 General Appropriations Act ratified on Monday, the P10-billion approved budget allocation for Support to the Barangay Development Program of the NTF-ELCAC is P6,336,000,000 under programmed funds while P3,664,000,000 is lodged in the unprogrammed funds.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, urged lawmakers to exercise more “proactive” oversight on the implementation of the 2023 national budget and to create a “scorecard” on the progress of government projects.
He said this should be done in conjunction with a five-year plan to track the progress of large government programs more effectively.
“The Oversight Committee (should) be more proactive in the sense that we can come together with the minority and all independents to have a sort of scorecard that we can agree with the administration,” Cayetano said.
The scorecard, he said, should be issued considering a five-year plan that the administration could use as a framework for public spending on its declared policy and infrastructure priorities.