NTF-ELCAC should have ‘zero budget’ —De Lima

By Mavic Conde

Detained Senator Leila De Lima has expressed in a letter her thoughts about the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“If I were to be asked about the Task Force, it’s budget should be brought to zero,” De Lima’s letter read.

According to her letter, the budget for NTF-ELCAC is used for red-tagging and witch-hunting, adding: “Defund the NTF-ELCAC and realign its budget for the pandemic response and social amelioration programs, such as the 4Ps.”

De Lima also lauded in her letter her colleagues’ decision to realign the fund of the NTF-ELCAC to pandemic response programs.

“Makatarungan lamang na ibalik sa mga mamamayan ang bilyong pondo ng Task Force na ginagamit lang upang maghasik ng lagim sa gitna ng krisis,” her letter read.

According to her, the government has been obsessed with funding it’s so-called “anti-insurgency” program at the expense of our survival amid the pandemic.