THE government’s anti-insurgency body National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) should show proof of its performance now that it has recovered its P10 billion appropriation for 2023, Sen. Nancy Binay said yesterday.
Binay said the agency should substantiate its statement during the budget hearings that it has been efficiently implementing the government’s programs, activities, and plans to end armed struggle in the countryside.
“Dapat by this time ‘yung mga naunang napondohan na programa ng ELCAC eh meron talagang tapos na (By this time, programs which were earlier funded should have already been finished),” Binay said.
Binay was among the senators who questioned the P10 billion recommended allocation of the NTF-ELCAC as they noted that out of the agency’s budget of P16.44 billion in 2021, only around P2.9 billion worth have been spent for ongoing projects, and only some P3.2 billion worth of projects have been completed.
The Senate slashed the Malacañang-proposed budget to P6.9 billion, while the House of Representatives cut it to P5 billion in what both houses said was due to its low disbursement rate.
But the bicameral conference committee later on restored the P10 billion budget.
Binay said the restoration of the NTF-ELCAC budget “was part of the compromise” between the Senate and the House.
“Bicam nga ‘yan eh bahagi ng pagko-compromise nitong pagbabalik ng pondo ng NTF ELCAC (That’s the bicam where part of the compromise is the retention of the NTF-ELCAC funds),” she said.
Binay said now that it will get its original proposed budget, the NTF-ELCAC should shape up as lawmakers will strictly monitor how it spends its money and implements its programs.
“In the coming years mas babantayan natin ‘yung implementation, lalong lalo na it’s on its third year (In the coming years we will strictly monitor the implementation of its project especially that it’s on its third year),” Binay said.
