Malacañang on Thursday said there was no need to realign anti-insurgency funds to rebuild areas wrecked by typhoon “Rolly,” as rehabilitation was part of the mandate of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“Tingin ko po hindi naman po kinakailangang i-realign dahil iyong ELCAC na pondo po ay pupunta doon sa area na mayroong insurgency problem. Dahil alam naman natin na kinakailangan magkaroon ng pag-unlad para mawala na iyong problema pagdating sa insurgency,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a media briefing.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier recommended to realign a portion of the NTF-ELCAC’s funds for 2021 to help rehabilitate typhoon-ravaged areas Bicol and Catanduanes.
The anti-insurgency task force has a proposed P19-billion budget for 2021.
Hontiveros, among others, took issue with the P19-billion sum given to NTF-ELCAC, higher than proposed budgets for the Office of the Ombudsman (P3.36 billion), the Department of Budget and Management (P1.9 billion) and the Department of Housing Settlements and Urban Development (P632 million).
In an earlier interview, Roque claimed poverty was the root of insurgency, and “promoting development” in areas ravaged by “Rolly” aligned with the NTF-ELCAC’s objective.
“Hindi na po kinakailangan mag-realign diyan, ipatuloy lang po natin na pondohan iyong mga ELCAC programs at malaking pondo po ay pupunta po dito sa mga Bicolandia at Catanduanes kung saan aktibo naman po talaga ang mga insurgents,” he said on Thursday.
Of the proposed P19-billion budget for NTF-ELCAC, P16.4-billion was allocated for its “Barangay Development Program,” which aims to build infrastructure projects like farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water sanitation systems and health stations.
Roque assured residents of Catanduanes that their needs would be heeded by the government.
“Lahat po ng mga pangangailangan ninyo sisikapin natin na dalhin dito by air, by land, by sea. At huwag po kayong mag-atubili dahil ang presidente po walang pulitika iyan, lahat po ng mga nangangailangan ay bibigyan ng tulong,” he said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro