Kalinga gov orders check on use of gov’t funds for ex-rebs

By Peter Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Gov. Jocel Baac has directed the military and police in the province to check alleged misuse of government money channeled to  purported former rebels and report  their findings.

“We have to check whether government money is being spent for the purpose of uplifting the economic status of former rebels,” he said. “There is no use for them (rebels) to join mainstream society if they are not productive through economic assistance.

The Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) council assigned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to monitor the implementation of projects provided by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) here.

Complaints of alleged irregularities prompted the body to compose a monitoring team to check those who received financial assistance for micro business but never invested the money for the purpose,  and who diverted  the money for  purposes other than the approved proposal.

Pastor Luis Ao-as, Chairman of the Kalinga and Apayao Religious Sector Association or KARSA said the “no dole-out policy” should be implemented saying government funds should not just be released to beneficiaries and leave it to them without proper supervision and monitoring.

This he said, is to ensure that special projects like what OPAPP is giving as a reward on peace gains are implemented and has impact on the lives of the beneficiaries.

“Beneficiaries of projects should be consulted first, establish partnership and that projects during their implementation stage should be regularly monitored,” Ao-as said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Resurrection Mariano, commanding officer of the 17th Infantry Battalion, said insurgency thrives due to high illiteracy rate, high poverty incidence,  and slow  delivery of  basic services to hinterlands.