Davao de Oro Gov urges not to defund NTF ELCAC

Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy urged legislators not to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), warning that doing so would disrupt development projects.

Uy stated that defunding the NTF ELCAC would jeopardize the ongoing efforts to achieve peace through peaceful means.

The NTF ELCAC, through its Barangay Development Program (BDP), has been funding crucial development projects aimed at addressing the needs of former conflict-affected areas.

Some local leaders in Central Luzon, including Mayor Ariel A. de Jesus of San Luis, Aurora, and Maria Elena Nicer, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Maria Aurora, have also opposed defunding the NTF-ELCAC.

Mayor de Jesus noted the BDP's positive impact on reducing criminality in his town and promoting community development.

Nicer added that the BDP aims to improve livelihoods, especially in rural and urban barangays, to counter the influence of the NPA and provide necessary projects.