Esperon defends pro-development, anti-insurgency budget

From the Philippine Information Agency (Oct 4, 2020): Esperon defends pro-development, anti-insurgency budget (By Jerome Carlo R. Paunan)

CALOOCAN CITY, Oct. 4 (PIA) -- National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon over the weekend defended the P16.4-billion budget proposal for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under the proposed 2021 national budget, and said it would be used to spur economic development in far-flung areas where rebels used to settle.

A report by PTV-4 Sentro Balita said the requested budget for the government's campaign against insurgency has been allocated for the economic programs of barangays that have been declared insurgency-free. Each barangay will receive a Php 20 million-allocation.

Esperon reported that around 822 barangays are now recovering from the impacts of CPP-NPA violence that government now wishes to address under the task force's "Support to the Barangay Development Program."

"Ito ay social and economic program that will free up the countryside that are conflicted. Alam naman natin na hindi maka-take off ang ekonomiya sa mga lugar na may gulo," Esperon said.

"Sobra bang bigyan ng P20 million [worth of] projects ang barangay?" he added.

Esperon said the amount was determined by the local government units, police and the military.

Among the programs included in the funding are the Road to Market Project, the establishment of schools, and the provision of livelihood to residents.

Esperon justified that such measures will weaken the forces of the New People’s Army and will create more stable communities. Guerilla bases of the NPA will be eliminated which will make it easier for security forces to pursue them.

Meanwhile, Esperon countered the allegation of the progressive bloc that the program is considered pork barrel.

He explained that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is in charge of releasing the fund directly to municipalities and that there is already a list of target beneficiaries.

"Hangga't may kahirapan d'yan, hangga't may social problem, hangga't may hinaing ang mga tao na hindi malulunasan ay mas madali silang makuha ng NPA na ma-recruit. Ang CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army) ay nabubuhay sa pagsasabi na kulang tayo sa serbisyo," he said. (PIA NCR)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1055058