Esperon lauds anti-communist project support

NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. touted the “phenomenal” outpouring of support for the anti-communist task force’s Barangay Development Program (BDP) that aims to free 822 neglected barangay (villages) from the clutches of communist terrorists.

Esperon, vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), expressed elation over what he called an “avalanche of support” from a huge number of national and local government officials as well as influential groups and individuals even amid calls from some lawmakers to realign its budget.

“In no other time in recent history that we saw this kind of phenomenal outpouring of support for such a novel government program whose intention is to bring development to far-flung and poor barangay that are guerilla bases of the communist terrorists,” Esperon said in a statement.

He said there were 518 barangay, 366 cities and municipalities, and 20 provinces that have passed their respective resolutions in support of the “gamechanging initiative.”

“These LGUs (local government units) strongly oppose the defunding of the [BDP] under the NTF-Elcac. The BDP is a game-changing initiative for the development of these barangay under threat from the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army),” he said.

The NTF-Elcac has a P19billion budget for 2021, with around P16 billion to be spent for its BDP as incentives for the villages that were cleared of insurgency threats.

Esperon stressed that calls to defund NTF-Elcac were “misplaced and untimely,” saying this would affect its anti-insurgency efforts in communities.

“Many of these communities have long waited for these sustainable development initiatives since 2016. Now that we have successfully liberated them from the clutches of the CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front), it is our moral obligation to see to it that they are not at risk for recapture,” he said.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE