Each of the 822 villages allegedly freed from the clutches of the communist New People’s Army is getting P20 million under the Barangay Development Program initiated by the Duterte administration.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. made the statement following claims by the alleged chief information officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA who gave his name as Marco Valbuena.
Esperon said Valbuena misled the people by providing erroneous computations when he claimed that P20 million would be distributed among 215 barangays or P93,000 each.
“For the benefit of this alleged communist spokesman and those who read his piece, allow me to further reiterate that the P20 million worth of programs and projects he speaks of is to be given to each barangay cleared of the NPA threat and influence from 2016-2019. To set the record straight, there are 822 barangays that shall each be receiving the P20 million BDP assistance, contrary to his claim of 215,” Esperon added in a statement sent to reporters.
He said a nationwide total of P16.44 billion was allotted for the programs and projects to be implemented under the BDP, far from Valbuena’s claim of P19.2 billion.
“It would be ridiculous to assume, in his words, that ‘each barangay will get a health center worth ₱6,976… Or P13,953 for a school building.’ The entire machinery of the government’s checks and balances was exhausted in the review and approval process of this program—from the Congressional Hearings to the Department of Budget and Management. No competent disbursement authority will allow such an unbelievably small amount such as P6976.00 for a health center or P13,953 for a school building.,” Esperon, vice chairman of the National Task Force End Local Communist Armed Conflict, said.
The BDP is the flagship project of the Duterte administration, to which the main purpose is to eliminate local communist armed conflict by addressing the root causes of the insurgency and to help people uplift their lives. President Rodrigo Duterte is the chairman of the NTF-ELCAC.
Earlier, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado issued Local Budget Circular 135, which will serve as the guidelines in releasing NTF-ELCAC’s Local Government Support to the Barangay Development Program.
Esperon also noted that the projects under the BDP were conceived through multi-sectoral consultations with threatened/affected communities in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas.
In fact, the official said, the selection of barangay recipients and their corresponding programs and projects had undergone stringent vetting from national agencies. The grassroots-level needs assessment ensures that the recipients of the package of development initiatives are endowed access to basic services essential for a dignified and comfortable life.
Esperon said apart from the P20 million worth of development programs per barangay, other agencies will be providing assistance through their own projects.
Lastly, Esperon assailed Valbuena in asserting that the BDP is a “military-dominated NTF-ELCAC… that is practically taking over the functions of civilian agencies… using its funds to direct the priorities of these different agencies.”