Leody de Guzman to prioritize pandemic response than AFP modernization: ‘Hindi naman natin pwedeng barilin yung COVID’

Presidential hopeful Leody de Guzman will not prioritize modernizing the country’s Armed Forces in case he becomes commander-in-chief next year.

The government is set to appropriate P297 billion of the 2022 national budget for the Department of Defense, in which P35 billion is earmarked for the continuation of Horizon II—the second phase of the AFP Modernization Program. The next administration is supposed to carry on with its completion phase Horizon III from 2023-2028.

In an interview on Politiko Live’s Balitang Sapol, De Guzman said he would rather allocate the funds to revitalize the economy and create business and employment opportunities for the masses.

“Tingin ko tigil muna. ‘Yung perang gagastusin sa modernization ibigay na muna sa kabuhayan ng ating mga manggagawa, magsasaka, mangingisda, ng ating mga drayber. Wala naman tayong gyerang haharapin. Hindi naman natin pwedeng barilin yung Covid,” he explained.

“Kaya tingin ko kung ano yung meron dyan eh pagyamanin muna ng ating mga kapulisan, ng AFP, at yung program sa modernization ay dun muna natin ilaan kasi nasa ilalim tayo ng survival sa paglaban sa COVID,” he said.

Meanwhile, to address insurgency, Ka Leody plans to bring back peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines- National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), and free all political detainees of the past administrations as a step to resolve the armed conflict.

“Oo. At isang seryosong pag-upo. Seryosong intention na maresolba ang armed conflict dito sa ating bansa. At yung mga nakakulong na political detainees dapat palayain na sila dahil yan naman ay mga biktima ng mga nagdaang administrasyon. Mahabang panahon na na sila’y naghihirap dyan. Tingin ko dapat palayain ang mga yan para magkaroon ng bagong pagsisimula,” he said.

In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte shut the doors on peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF.

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