Duterte to tap private donors to raise funds for scholarship of SAF 44 kids

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. GERMELINA LACORTE

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – If the city government could not spend P1 million for the scholarship of the children of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who died in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, in an operation to capture Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed to source it from private donors willing to help the fallen heroes.

But Duterte said he was still looking into why the local government could not use its fund under the law to extend help to the fallen SAF commandos.

“These guys died for the country. Why is it unlawful for them to receive aid from the government?” Duterte asked after the Commission on Audit (COA) said there was no basis for the Davao City government to spend its funds for the scholarships of the SAF commandos’ children.

“What’s wrong with giving government money to the fallen guys fighting for the country?” Duterte asked, saying he was just putting the question across COA, after it said it could not find any justification for the proposal for the local government to set up the fund.

“If the local government can extend help to those whose houses are razed down by fire or to victims of calamities like typhoons or earthquakes, why not to the fallen SAF commandos who died for the country?” Duterte asked.

The city mayor, however, said if the city government could not use its fund to extend scholarship to the children of the fallen SAF commandos, he would look for private donors to do so.

“If it’s not allowed, we will still raise the money from private funds,” Duterte said. “The private funds will be channeled to a foundation, which will already be public money, and subjected to accountability.”