REPRESENTATIVE Alfredo Benitez (3RD district, Negros Occidental) is encouraging the proposal to name the local politicians who are supporting or getting the support of the New People's Army (NPA).
“Every time there is damaging information, for as long as it is validated authenticated, I don't see any problem naming those who are involved,” Benitez said.
Col. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 303rd Infantry of the Philippine Army based in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, has been confirming intelligence reports that there are local officials who support the NPA, which supports them in return. However, the commander has no intention of naming the politicians.
Arevalo said that the situation is not so worrisome that could affect the general peace and order of the province during the May 13elections.
Benitez, in another development, said that the creation of the new Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development is expected soon after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill that he sponsored at the Lower House.
Duterte signed into law the creation of the new department, which seeks to consolidate all shelter agencies to address the huge housing backlog in the country last February 26.
Under Republic Act 11201, the new department is a consolidation of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.
The new department shall act as the primary National Government entity responsible for the management of housing, human settlement and urban development. It shall also be the sole and main planning and policy-making, regulatory, program coordination and performance monitoring entity for all housing, human settlement and urban development concerns, primarily focusing on the access and the affordability of the basic human needs.
The department shall also develop and adopt a national strategy to immediately address the provision of adequate and affordable housing to all Filipinos and shall ensure the alignment of the policies, programs and projects of all of its attached agencies to facilitate the achievement of this objective.
Benitez said that they had a hearing last week about the budget of the new department for 2020.
The law addresses the housing problem and would give realization to the dream of every Filipino to have a decent house which he can call his own.