Lacson to scrutinize budget of ‘bully’ NTF-Elcac

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, during a hybrid plenary session on September 20, 2021. Senate PRIB file photo / Henzberg Austria

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday called the  government’s anti-insurgency task force “bullies” for attacking him after his earlier remark that he regrets supporting its budget.

“Well mga bully eh di ba?” Lacson told ANC’s “Headstart” when asked to describe the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-Elcac) behavior today.

“I had been defending the budget of NTF-Elcac for so many years. Just because mayroon kaming nasilip na probable misuse in the implementation of the fund of the NTF- Elcac and I called them out on this, biglang galit na [suddenly they became angry].”

On the same program early  this month, the senator categorically said yes when asked if  he had regrets supporting the budget of  NTF-Elcac. He also expressed dismay of the task force’s alleged “favoritism” in distribution of its funds.

After making such remarks, Lacson said the task force insulted and called him names.

“What happened to those years when I was defending their budget and even augmenting their budget? All of a sudden biglang nag turnaround [suddenly a turnaround happened]…These are the kind of people that we’re dealing with. Bully eh,” he further said.

Unfazed, Lacson vowed to scrutinize the NTF-Elcac’s budget when its proposed P28.1 billion funding next year reaches the Senate.

Instead of sponsoring its budget proposal, he said join in scrutinizing the “humongous” funding of the task force.

“Ako, I was very supportive of the NTF-Elcac because I was shown the itemized list of projects and hindi ko na ini-scrutinized one by one but it turned out mayroong mga [there are] considerations na aside from ending the insurgency problem  in the country, may mga political considerations [there are political considerations],” Lacson said.

The senator said he would make sure that the itemized list of NTF-Elcac’s budget would go to areas that really need development and livelihood “on account of the prevailing insurgency situation in those areas.”

“Talagang dapat i-scrutinize [It really needs to be scrutinized],” Lacson stressed.

JPV