This photo, taken on Thursday, June 30, 2016, shows President Rodrigo Duterte and then Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo (left) handing out rice packs to poor residents of Tondo in Manila at the Delpan Sports Complex. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Envelopes with money from the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the government were found in a camp of the聽communist New People鈥檚 Army (NPA), President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday.
Duterte again tackled reports the funds for the CCT of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were diverted to the NPA during the watch of then Secretary Judy Taguiwalo.
鈥淭hey recovered from an NPA camp envelopes containing the Pantawid,鈥� he added, referring to the formal name of the CCT program, which is聽Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Duterte denied, however, that story came from him, saying: 鈥淭he [reports] that the Taguiwalo used the money did not come from me. That arrived in the hands of the congressmen. Well,聽from the military maybe. But not from me. Otherwise, I would not have reappointed and reappointed her.鈥�
Taguiwalo had to vacate her post as DSWD chief after the powerful Commission on Appointments rejected her appointment.
鈥淢r. President, I kept faith with you,鈥� Taguiwalo said afterwards. 鈥淚鈥檓 just sad because I don鈥檛 think you kept faith with me in the end.鈥�
On Monday,聽the President said the 4Ps money 鈥渕ight have been used鈥� to buy ammunition or firearms after Jose Maria Sison, founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said the NPA was 鈥渆xpanding, recruiting.鈥�
鈥淪o, therefore, they would need more arms,鈥� Duterte said. 鈥淭hey can buy, ambush, steal, or extort, whatever.鈥�
鈥淟et me be very clear,鈥� he added. 鈥淭o the Communists: You listen. I don鈥檛 care if the recipient was a poor NPA member or a poor law-abiding citizen. They both need food.聽Just don鈥檛 buy bullets and firearms.鈥�
鈥淪o for聽Secretary Taguiwalo, you are barking at the wrong tree,鈥� Duterte went on. 鈥淭hat is what I told the military. I鈥檓 not so concerned about money reaching the hands of the NPAs.鈥�
Taguiwalo said the accusations against her were聽鈥渂aseless.鈥�
鈥淔or the record and for the President鈥檚 own awareness, not a single peso of the 4Ps program passed through my hands,鈥� Taguiwalo said in a statement.
She said the funds were directly coursed through Land Bank of the Philippines and its conduits, which then made direct payouts to CCT beneficiaries.
鈥淭hese transactions are recorded and COA [Commission on Audit] regularly audits this program,鈥� Taguiwalo said.聽/atm