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'Not pork': Año says P16.4 billion anti-insurgency budget itemized

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4w2E-2s8ulA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></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><p>MANILA - Interior Secretary Eduardo Año denied Monday that the P16.4-billion budget proposal for government&#x27;s anti-insurgency task force was &quot;pork barrel.&quot;</p><p>The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives criticized the budget allotted to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which they claim have been falsely tagging several lawmakers as communist leaders. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/11/20/p20-m-each-for-npa-free-barangays-talo-pa-ang-pcso-says-makabayan-bloc">P20-M each for NPA-free barangays? ‘Talo pa ang PCSO,’ says Makabayan bloc</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/10/20/makabayan-bloc-eyes-charges-vs-pcoos-badoy-over-red-tagging">Makabayan bloc eyes charges vs PCOO&#x27;s Badoy over red-tagging</a></li></ul><p>Año said a P20-million cap will be given to fund development in 822 &quot;isolated and far-flung&quot; barangays that were cleared of communist insurgency from 2016 to 2019.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/12/20/not-pork-p164-b-anti-insurgency-budget-meant-to-develop-rural-areas-says-esperon">Not ‘pork’: P16.4-B anti-insurgency budget meant to develop rural areas, says Esperon</a></li></ul><p>&quot;This is not what we call a pork barrel or lump sum because projects are itemized and there will be strict monitoring and implementation of these projects,&quot; he told ANC.</p><p>Año said a &quot;specific menu&quot; of projects will be presented to the barangays which will contain programs such as farm to market roads, water and sanitation, health stations, and agriculture and livelihood, among others.</p><p>&quot;They have been neglected for a long time that’s why the NPA (New People&#x27;s Army) were able to place these barangays under their influence,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Interior Secretary Eduardo Año denied Monday that the P16.4-billion budget proposal for government's anti-insurgency task force was "pork barrel."</p>

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año denied Monday that the P16.4-billion budget proposal for government's anti-insurgency task force was "pork barrel."