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DILG denies billions allocated for Davao region to be used for 2022 polls

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<p>MANILA - The Department of the Interior and Local Government denied Monday that billions of pesos in anti-insurgency funds allocated to the Davao Region will be used in the 2022 polls.</p><p>Davao Region received P4.3 billion of P16.24 billion funding for the government&#x27;s anti-insurgency campaign including P1.64 billion for Davao City, which is the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, two government bodies confirmed Monday. </p><p>National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesperson Joel Egco said the government did not favor Davao when it allocated billions in funds to the area. </p><p>&quot;Wala pong pinapaboran dito kung hindi yung (No one is favored here except) most of the barangays is that where, as you said, used to be under [the influence of communist terrorists] ay nandun sa (are in) Davao City. That&#x27;s the only reason there. Davao provinces, I mean,&quot; Egco told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Rundown&quot;.</p><p>He noted that 4 of 5 guerrilla fronts were operating in Davao Region. </p><p>Under the Barangay Development Program, villages cleared of &quot;communist influence&quot; were given P20 million for various projects, such as farm-to-market roads, school buildings and livelihood projects.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/15/21/senators-want-ntf-elcac-to-account-for-millions-in-unspent-2020-funds">Senators want NTF-ELCAC to account for millions in unspent 2020 funds</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/21/dilg-ntf-elcac-barangay-development-2022">DILG eyes P40 billion for development of communist-free barangays</a></li></ul><p>DILG acting spokesperson Odilon Pasaraba denied the funds will be used for election purposes.</p><p>&quot;There are accountability mechanisms in place. The spending of the funds is managed by the recipient barangays themselves, not the DILG, nor the NTF-ELCAC. That&#x27;s to be underscored,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Allegations such as these are clear attempts to discredit the working strategy and the principles involved in this project,&quot; he added.</p><p>President Duterte has said he would run for the country&#x27;s second highest position in next year&#x27;s elections.</p><p>His daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, has also been rumored to be eyeing the presidency, which could pave the way for the two Dutertes to occupy the 2 highest seats in the country. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/17/21/duterte-vioce-president-shield-legal-actions">‘Tatakbo na lang ako’: Duterte will run for VP if it means having legal immunity</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/05/21/is-sara-duterte-running-for-president-halalan-election-2022">Sara Duterte on possible presidential run: Wait for October</a></li></ul><div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1729932" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div><br/><strong>P40 BILLION IN ANTI-INSURGENCY FUNDS IN 2022</strong></div><p>For 2022, the DILG said it was eyeing around P40-billion development fund for villages cleared of insurgency.</p><p>Egco said some 2,000 barangays from Bicol and Western Visayas were set to benefit from the funding. </p><p>&quot;This problem of communist terrorism, alam mo, ibang klaseng virus ito (you know what, this is a different type of virus),&quot; he said when asked to answer criticisms that the anti-insurgency funds were bigger than funding allocated for vaccine procurement.</p><p>&quot;This is a virus that has been here for more than 5 decades already. If you&#x27;re not going to do something about this now, it might continue on pa.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t think there&#x27;s a problem with the prioritization of budget here. The government&#x27;s responding very well to the pandemic,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>MANILA - The Department of the Interior and Local Government denied Monday that billions of pesos in anti-insurgency funds allocated to the Davao Region will be used in the 2022 polls.</p>

MANILA - The Department of the Interior and Local Government denied Monday that billions of pesos in anti-insurgency funds allocated to the Davao Region will be used in the 2022 polls.