Anti-communist task force will get P28-billion funding

MANILA, Philippines — The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) will receive a whopping P28.1 billion funding in the proposed 2022 national budget, higher than its P19 billion budget this year.

In his budget message, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government would continue to address communist insurgency in the country, adding that “we have done so much more than any other previous administration to end this 52-year-old conflict.”

“The success of our past efforts now paves the way for the smooth implementation of the Barangay Development Program, which will rehabilitate 1,406 barangays in conflict-affected areas,” Duterte said.

This year, the NTF-Elcac got P19 billion, including P16.4 billion worth of development projects for barangays liberated from communist rebels.

But lawmakers earlier threatened to defund the NTF-Elcac following its rampant Red-tagging of human rights activists, students, journalists, celebrities, and progressive groups.

In a statement on Monday, Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite renewed calls to abolish the NTF-Elcac for alleged fund irregularities.

“As it is, the NTF-Elcac is essentially like a civilian-military junta manipulating taxpayer’s money for their ill intents,” he said.

In a separate statement, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas warned that the P28.1-billion budget of the NTF-Elcac would be used for the administration’s Red-tagging and vote-buying operations.

“The P28.1 billion constitutes Duterte’s election war chest to buy votes from barangays and campaign against opposition figures at P20 million for each barangay,” she said.