` BUDGET INTERPELLATION QUESTIONS FOR NTF-ELCAC
Notable items / areas in the budget NTF-ELCAC – Barangay Development Program (Local Government Support Fund)
Issues
Questions
● Can the NTF-ELCAC The ₱4 billion-worth of incentives to explain the distinction “communist-free” barangays are a form between pork barrel of pork barrel fund, which the Supreme funds, which are lump Court had declared unconstitutional; the sum funds allocated to bulk of that billions of funds could be legislators for local pet given to the hometown of President projects, and the Rodrigo Duterte—Davao Region and million-worth of Davao City. incentives to a ● During the House Committee “communist-free” Appropriations hearing, Gabriela barangay, which are Women’s Party Representative funds allocated to Arlene Brosas said that there was barangays meant for neither a list of barangays nor a list building development of specific projects indicated in the projects? How could we 2022 NEP. It is apparently based on be assured that such a the discretion of the NTF-ELCAC. large amount of budget ● In 2021, both the Davao Region and would not lead to Davao City, the hometown of intergenerational President Duterte, got the largest corruption or even part of the billions of funds; Davao another pork barrel Region got ₱4.3 billion, while Davao scam in the country? City got ₱1.64 billion. NTF-ELCAC gets to decide which ● What is the barangay gets the incentive based on fundamental definition their definition of a “communist-free” of the NTF-ELCAC’s barangay amidst involvement in the red“communist-free” tagging controversy. barangay? ● In April 2021, the spokesperson of NTF-ELCAC—Gen. Antonio Parlade—admitted the blatant profiling of community pantry organizers by giving reference to a biblical figure Satan. In return, eight Page 1 of 2
● NTF-ELCAC is notorious for unlawful profiling and redtagging of individuals, especially those who are dissenters of the current
senators – Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, and Leila De Lima – issued a joint statement, which slammed the social media post of NTF-ELCAC that linked community pantry initiatives to the communist movement.
NTF-ELCAC 2020 Budget to PNP
The unobligated and unspent funds of the 2020 NTF-ELCAC budget to PNP. ● The Philippine National Police (PNP) had allotted NTF-ELCAC’s funds of ₱1 billion for 2020 national budget to its anti-insurgency program. However, according to the COA report, the PNP had only received ₱722.9 million from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). ● PNP had only spent ₱86.568 million out of its ₱722.95-million budget from NTF-ELCAC in 2020. In addition, it has been shown that the PNP has an unobligated balance of ₱482.15 million out of its ₱722.9 million funding. This means that merely 11.97% of PNP’s total budget, allocated to its anti-insurgency program, were utilized; also, in PNP’s ₱240.8 million obligated fund, the agency has only spent P86.57 million or 35.95% of the total obligated amount.
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administration. If Congress allows to fund this anti-insurgency machinery of the government and even more increase its funding in the 2022 NEP, would it not lead to the proliferation and exacerbation of human rights violations in the Philippines?
● The Philippines' budget deficit is growing as the pandemic has resulted in a low revenue collection. Given the reported unobligated funds of the 2020 NTFELCAC budget for the PNP and unspent funds in their 2020 budget, why even allocate billions of pesos to NTF-ELCAC in the 2022 GAA? Is there any assurance that the billions of funds to be allocated to the NTFELCAC would be spent without any misuse and abuse?