Esperon defends fund allocation for anti-communist task force: Public money is used responsibly

By Prince Golez

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Sunday assured the public that the development fund for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) are “released following the stringent evaluation of the government agencies concerned.”

Esperon, the vice chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, issued the statement after several senators pushed to defund the government’s anti-communist task force next year and reallocate its current P19-billion budget to cash aid for allegedly linking community pantry organizers to communist rebels.

“It is fairly easy to make speculations thus far on misuse of the BDP funds, but to substantiate allegations is a matter that requires comprehensive investigations altogether,” he said in a press statement.

“I implore all the concerned stakeholders and the general public to understand the import of what the NTF-ELCAC and the BDP seek to accomplish. We finally have the means to end the divisive conflict that has handicapped this country through the empowerment and development of communities which are vulnerable to the deceit of the (Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” according to him.

Esperon urged everyone to report incidents of malversation of public funds and abuse of authority through the government’s grievance channels such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Sandiganbayan, and the 8888 Citzens’ Complaint Center.

As of Friday, the NTF-ELCAC official reported that a total of 525 out of 822 barangays have endorsed their respective programs and projects to the Department of Budget and Management in accordance with Local Budget Circular 135 and 135-A. The remaining 237 are in the process of endorsing their plans.

“I wish to assure stakeholders that the project management teams at the Department of Interior and Local Government and the various mechanisms of transparency and accountability of the Regional and Provincial Task Forces of the NTF-ELCAC are working to ensure that the BDP funds are used responsibly and for their intended purpose,” he said.

The BDP, which has an allocation of P16.4 billion in the 2021 budget, aims to implement various projects such as farm-to-market roads, classrooms, water and sanitation systems, health stations, and livelihood projects in barangays deemed “cleared” from insurgency.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)