Dela Rosa cites personal experience of war with NPA as he opposed defunding of NTF-ELCAC, sees 'bloody' debate in the Senate

Title 1: Dela Rosa cites personal experience of war with NPA as he opposed defunding of NTF-ELCAC, sees 'bloody' debate in the Senate

Title 2: Dela Rosa cites losing his men in the war with NPA as he opposed defunding of NTF-ELCAC, sees 'bloody' debate in the Senate

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa's opposition to the intention of some of his co-senators to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is deeply rooted in his frustrations while fighting with the New People's Army (NPA) where he and his companions often asked if they had already been abandoned by the government.

"Itong pinaghugutan ko ng aking paninindigan na ito ay hindi pamumulitika kung hindi...yung buhay ng aking mga tao noon na namatay sa pakikipagbakbakan namin sa NPA at yung aking ekspiryensiya noong ako ay bata pa sa serbisyo, 'yun ang pinaghugutan ko. Very solid foundation 'yun, kahit ano gusto nila mangyari hindi ko yan igi-give up," Dela Rosa said in an interview with Sonshine Radio on Thursday, April 29.

Dela Rosa, former member of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary and official of the Philippine National Police, recalled that his team felt abandoned by the other agencies of government, left to fend for themselves in the long and tiring war against insurgency.

"Hindi yan pamumulitika dahil nakita ko sa aking 33 years na pag seserbisyo...Noong bata pa kami sa serbisyo, 'yun ang aming frustration...ang aming nasasabi palagi is that, 'ano bang klaseng giyera ito, pinabayaan na lang ba tayo ng iba parang tayo na lang ang gobyerno dito?... 'Yung ibang ahensya ng gobyerno walang pakialam,'" Dela Rosa said in another interview on Thursday over DZRH.

"So, ito na nga ang kasagutan sa aming furstration noong kami ay mga bata pa sa serbisyo. Itong NTF-ELCAC na whole of government approach, lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno ay nagtutulong-tulungan na para mahinto na itong problema sa NPA, at whole of nation approach na talaga ito dahil pati mga ordinaryong mga taumbayan ay umaalsa...ito na ang tsansa na matapos ang more than 50 years na problema natin d'yan sa NPA," the former top cop added.

Defunding the NTF-ELCAC, which has a P19 billion current budget, wouldn't be a "walk in the park" as Dela Rosa vowed to oppose the move even as he expected the debate to be "bloody" if it would be put to a deliberation in the Senate.

"I think medyo 'madugong labanan' 'yan, pero siguro hindi naman ako nand'yan nag-iisa. 'Yung iba d'yan medyo tahimik lang, pero alam ko na kakampi natin 'yan hindi lang sila gaanong vocal pero pagdating naman sa pagdepensa ng budget marami naman siguro tutulong sa atin d'yan," he said.

Dela Rosa said it would be unwise to remove the fund of the NTF-ELCAC because it is being used to bankroll social services projects in barangays already cleared of communist insurgency.

"Marami pa rin barangay sa bundok na for how many years na namatay na lang 'yung mga tao doon, walang tubig... ngayon mabibigyan sila ng project na patubig (under NTF-ELCAC), malaking bagay 'yan. Hindi na 'yan babalik sa NPA," he said.

Dela Rosa noted that among other projects under NTF-ELCAC are health and sanitation, school buildings, farm to market roads, and rural electrification.