The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) pointed out Sunday that “LGUs (local government units) enjoy local autonomy’’ and have rejected to be swayed by the “God-less and obsolete ideology of communist terrorist groups (CTGs) that is marked by up the CPP-NPA-NDF’s violence and atrocities.”

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año emphasized this amid allegations that the government is forcing LGUs to declare the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata by threatening to withhold their budget.

“Please do not insult the intelligence of our local government officials. Hindi mangmang ang mga LGUs at hindi sila madidiktahan na gumawa ng mga bagay na labag sa kanilang kalooban. Ang katotohanan ay mulat ang mga mata nila at saksi sila sa panloloko ng CPP-NPA-NDF sa kanilang mga lugar (The LGUs are not ignorant and cannot be dictated to do things against their will. The fact is that they are fully aware and have been witnesses to the fraudulent ways of the CPP-NPA-NDF in their areas),’’ Año said.

Año said that it is “preposterous’’ for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to insinuate that the LGUs are being forced to issue such declaration “because LGUs are not witless and stupid puppets.’’ 

“On the contrary, they are very much aware of the situation on the ground and of the CTG’s harassment and extortion activities on businesses and ambuscades and raids on government forces that has led to some 40,000 deaths of police, military, and civilians in its more than 50-year reign of terror in the countryside,’’ he added.

With the CTG group’s alleged criminal and violent ways, Año insisted that it was not surprising that more than 1,500 LGUs have declared them as persona non grata since they have been a burden to the people for so many years.

Earlier, the DILG claimed that some 1,546 LGUs in the country have declared the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata.

In response, the CPP released a statement saying that these LGUs were merely forced to pass the declaration otherwise their budget would be withheld.

Año maintained that the CPP merely attempted to connect the persona non grata issue to the budget allocation for LGUs “straight out of a teleserye narrative.’’

“Wala na talaga silang maisip na palusot kaya kinakabit nila ang pagdeklara ng persona non grata sa usapin ng budget para sa mga LGUs. Taktika na naman nila ito para linlangin ang publiko at matabunan ang katotohanang isinusuka na sila ng bayan (They simply want to wiggle out of their predicament that is why they are linking the persona non grata issue to the budget allocation of the LGUs. This is again their ploy to deceive the public and cover the truth that they are being rejected by the people),’’ he added.

Año explained that the annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for the LGUs is released and downloaded automatically to them in accordance with the provision of the Constitution. 

In 2020 alone, Año said the local governments received more than P640 billion in funds without a single complaint from the LGUs.

“Lahat ng pondo para sa mga LGU na ultimately ay para sa mga mamamayan ay nakakarating sa kanila. ‘Yan ang katotohanan (All of the funds for the LGUs which ultimately are for their constituents are received by them. That is a fact),’’ Año explained.

The DILG chief also noted that the LGUs received more budget this year “through the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law and Bayanihan to Recover as One Law’’ in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, “debunking CPP’s insinuation of budget manipulation.’’

In Bayanihan 2 Law alone, Año explained that the LGUs are “taking advantage of the P1.5-billion allocation under the COVID-19 Local Government Support Fund to provinces, municipalities, and cities for their respective COVID-19 response initiatives.’’

Año also added that President Duterte reported to Congress that a total of P18-billion worth of budgetary assistance was given to the LGUs through the Bayanihan 1 Law.

Insisting that the allegation of budget denial is fake news, Año lamented that “it’s the usual black propaganda of the CTGs.’’