(BERNARD TAGUINOD)
NAGING galante si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dahil umaabot sa P1.1 billion ang inaprubahang cash advances nito sa loob lamang ng 5 taon kumpara sa P42.2 million na pinayagan ng dalawang nagdaang pangulo.
Ang masama, ayon kay Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, walang habas ang paggastos ng AFP partikular na ang Philippine Army (PA) sa pera ng bayan subalit wala umanong ginagawang accounting.
“This scenario is a fertile breeding ground for corruption in the AFP and the enriching of corrupt AFP officials. At the same time, this takes away funds for much needed aid of majority of our people,” ani Zarate.
Ginawa ng mambabatas ang pahayag kasunod ng 2020 annual report ng Commission on Audit (COA) na umaabot sa P843.85 million ang cash advances na ibinigay sa 5 accountable officers (AOs) ng First Infantry Division (1st ID).
Ang cash advances ay ginamit sa serbisyo at subsistence allowances ng 11,000 Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) subalit wala umanong accountings na ginagawa.
“It has also come to our attention that in the period of 5 to 10 years, there has been Long Outstanding Fund Transfers by the AFP at P42,203,994.57. But in the period of 1 to 5 years under the Duterte administration it is P1,150,041,242.36,” ayon sa mambabatas.
Bukod dito, binigyan umano ng P70,000,000.00 ang AFP noong May 27,2020 para sa kanilang Capacity Building Activities sa ilalim ng Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).
“It just goes to show that the AFP is awash with cash even in the middle of the pandemic. Incidentally, while funds are flowing, the spike in extra judicial killings (EJKs) and fake surrenderees are also happening. They must be held to account for these,” ani Zarate.
Nangako rin ang mambabatas na kabilang ito sa mga kakalkalin nila kapag nagsimula ang deliberasyon sa pondo ng AFP sa susunod na taon.
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