"YOU'RE barking up the wrong tree."
This was what President Rodrigo Duterte had to say on Tuesday after former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo refuted his remark last Monday that she reportedly diverted funds for the government's conditional cash transfer program to the New People's Army (NPA).
At the oath-taking of new public servants, Duterte clarified that he was not accusing Taguiwalo.
He said he was merely citing reports that she might have diverted the Conditional Cash Transfer fund for the benefit of NPA members.
"The statement saying that Taguiwalo used the money [for NPA] did not come from me. It came from the hand of congressman – well, from the military, maybe. But that's not from me. Otherwise, I would not have reappointed and reappointed her," the Chief Executive said.
On Monday, Duterte revealed that Taguiwalo, a member of the communist group, was accused of spending "bulk of the money," which was initially allocated for anti-poor program, to support NPA's procurement of arms and bullets.
He, however, was quick to clarify that he was not accusing the former Social Welfare chief of misusing the fund for conditional cash transfer program, otherwise known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Taguiwalo denied insinuations that she used the 4Ps fund to finance the NPA during her stint at the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
"For the record and for the President's own awareness, not a single peso of the 4Ps program passed through my hands. The program funds are directly coursed through the LandBank and its conduits who then make direct payout to the Pantawid beneficiaries,” she said.
Responding to Taguiwalo's statement, the President reiterated that it was fine with him as long as the money granted to members of NPA would be used to sustain their needs.
"Let me be very clear: To the communists, listen. I don't care if poor NPA rebels or law-abiding citizens in a poor village received money. They need that for food. I don’t care how they spend the money," Duterte said.
"On my part, I don't want them to buy bullet and gun. It’s fine with me if meager [assistance] would be given to the poor. Do they have the time to think of [buying such]? So [former] Secretary Taguiwalo, you are barking up the wrong tree,” he added. (VoxPop Philippines)
