SENATORS on Thursday expressed dismay over National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr.’s statement against the organizer of the Maginhawa Community Pantry.

While believing that the NTF-ELCAC is a good program, Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III said some officials of the program should be replaced.

“I believe the NTF-ELCAC program is good. Defunding it would give back the gains of govt to the rebels. We should not be hasty in blaming a good program because of irresponsible statements from some officials. Replace the officials instead,” Sotto said.

“Kapag tumatanggap ba ng donasyon sa mga simbahan tinatanong ba kung saan galing and pera? They should be defanged! Tanggalan ng pangil at replace,” he added referring to Parlade and Usec. Lorraine Badoy.

Meanwhile, several senators urged the government to realign the NTF-ELCAC budget to other important undertakings.

“My call to review, and realign the NTF-ELCAC budget to health and ayuda, conforms with the existing budget practice of realigning scarce funds to where these are more needed. Naniniwala po ako na sangayon din ang mga kababayan dito,” Senator Joel Villanueva said.

“Tulad ng pagbigay sa mga community pantries, hindi krimen ang magbigay ng ganitong panukala. It is also not giving comfort to the armed enemies. It is simply giving aid to our hungry people,” Villanueva added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon meanwhile said it is now time to realign the NillionTF-ELCAC fund.

“For the past weeks, I have been urging the President to realign the anti-insurgency budget to fund the budgeted ‘ayuda’ to the poor. I am glad that my colleagues joined me in that call. But we do not have to wait for the 2022 budget debates to defund NTF-ELCAC. The President should realign the NTF-ELCAC under the 2021 GAA now. Now na!! Because, as the saying goes: Aanhin mo pa ang damo kung patay na any kabayo?” Drilon said.

“I have filed an anti-red tagging bill, criminalizing and punishing this practice. I urge the Senate leadership to hear this bill as soon as possible,” he added.

On the other hand, Senators Nancy Binay and Panfilo Lacson warned the Department of National Defense that they will scrutinize the agency’s budget for next year.

“In just a few months, the Senate will start deliberating on the 2022 budget. Dahil sa mga di magagandang experience ng red-tagging and baseless intel, we will definitely make sure that the NTF-ELCAC budget will go through a fine-toothed comb in the Senate,” Binay said.

“Since kinakapos nga tayo sa pandemic response, baka mas maigi from ‘profiling’, eh, ‘mag-contact tracing’ na lang for Covid-19 si Gen. Parlade. Mas may pakinabang sya dun,” she stressed.

Lacson, for his part, admitted that he is not sure if he can defend DND’s budget with the same tenacity as he did the previous years.

“Since 2016, I have been defending the budget of the defense department and all it’s attached agencies. Last year, I stubbornly fought to retain the P16.5 billion anti-insurgency fund of NTF-ELCAC for 2021, arguing that it was intended for development programs, activities and projects in areas cleared of the presence of the NPA’s, and not for armed anti-insurgency operations,” Lacson explained.

Lacson also reminded that the Senate has approved in plenary recommendations on the red-tagging issue — including the immediate relief of LtGen Antonio Parlade Jr as spokesperson of NTF-ELCAC.

“Unfortunately, the defense department has openly ignored the Senate in that regard. Working together, I believe should be a two-way street, if we want to make it work,” he said.