BACOLOD City – A top official of the Philippine Army in this province has dismissed the New People’s Army’s (NPA) claims over the use of peace and order fund allocated by the provincial government.
According to Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303 IB), the condemnation of the said communist-terrorist organization is just aimed at discrediting the support provided by the province to former rebels, projects and programs that are intended to alleviate the lives of the Negrenses in underdeveloped areas.
“The use of funds can be checked. We believe that the Negros Occidental provincial government is transparent regarding this,” the Colonel said on Feb. 25.
For him, NPA’s Apolinario Gatmaitan Command spokesperson Juanito Magbanua, who claimed that the peace fund is being used for intelligence and psywar operations, should instead explain to his own group the corruption in the use of funds of the rebel group in this province instead.
“I encourage him to answer and explain it. I know they have problems over their own funds,” he added.
Pasaporte also refuted the rebel movement’s claims over the use of the people’s money to militarize the services of the local government in relation to the implementation of the whole-of-nation approach that aims to end the local communist armed conflict and the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP).
“The peace and order fund is not used for the RCSP, which is being funded by the local government units themselves and supported by the national government agencies,” he added.
For his part, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said that the allocation of such funds is based on the initiative of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, which is chaired by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
“We cannot question that. (The process) of drafting the budget is participatory. It’s founded really on good projects. One of them involves helping people affected by the armed conflict. Those who want to return to the fold of the law receive financial and livelihood assistance,” he said.
“Let’s respect each other’s opinion and we hope that the law-abiding Negrenses will see that this is for lasting peace in the province,” Diaz added.(With a report from PNA/PN)
