How are the funds used?

Exactly how is the P19.2 billion budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) being utilized? This is what the Senate proposed by Sen. Ping Lacson wants to find out as opposed to the other senators who outright want to defund the agency after the controversial statements from the unbridled mouth of their spokesman, Lt. Gen. Parlade. The word war between the senators and Parlade recently intensified after the proposed defunding. All the brouhaha started when the first community pantry on Maginhawa St., QC was put up by Ana Patricia Non. A large turnout of people came to avail of the novel method of helping out. Give what you can, take what you need. Brilliant. No politics, no profit. The intention was pure.

But that's not what some people in this administration saw. Once again, they were upstaged by a simple idea that was working. We all know they just hate that. The QCPD wasted no time in showing up and asking for the information of those manning the pantry and the person behind it. This was easily seen as red-tagging, prompting the organizer to temporarily shut down operations. But because of the people's support and backlash at the government's moves, the Palace announced community pantries should be left alone. But that's not going to stop the NTF-ELCAC. A known staunch supporter of President Duterte and an official of the NTF-ELCAC accused Non of being part of a communist movement and even involved in an organization at the UP College of Fine Arts. Parlade likened Non to Satan who offered the apple to Eve. That's how this administration thinks. Helping others, communist. Human rights advocates, communists. Critics of the administration, communists.

There is a proposal to defund the NTF-ELCAC and this has prompted Parlade to call the senators stupid. What Lacson wants to find out first is how the agency uses the massive funds. The NTF-ELCAC fund is sufficient to provide 3,840,000 families with P5,000 each. That's how big their fund is. Indeed, how do they spend the funding? Notice the name of the agency - "to End Local Communist Armed Conflict". Where are the armed communists in the community pantries? This is exactly the criticism the agency is taking. Why not pour all their efforts and resources to eliminate the real armed communists in the provinces? Instead, they want to profile, red-tag, or whatever else on those giving out vegetables?

It is right to audit the NTF-ELCAC. Some senators want to realign the funds for the fight against the pandemic such as the procurement of vaccines and providing cash aid to the needy. Many are calling out for Parlade to resign as NTF-ELCAC spokesman because of his "loose lips". But I believe whoever replaces him will have the same mindset. This agency is working very hard to impress President Duterte so it doesn't matter what controversial statements they release and who they target.