Dispatch from Crame No. 1173:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the NTF-ELCAC budget cut

I laud the decision of my colleagues to realign the funds of the NTF-ELCAC to pandemic response programs.

Makatarungan lamang na ibalik sa mamamayan ang bilyong pondo ng Task Force na ginagamit lang upang lalong maghasik ng lagim sa gitna ng krisis. The government has been so obsessed with funding its so-called "anti-insurgency" program at the expense of our survival amid the pandemic.

Kung ako ang tatanungin, the Task Force's budget should be brought to zero. Napupunta lang naman sa red tagging at witchhunt. Defund the NTF-ELCAC and realign its budget to the pandemic response, and social amelioration programs, such as the 4Ps.