MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has criticized Bayan-Panay over allegations of irregularities involving Barangay Development Program (BDP) projects in Iloilo, rejecting claims that some projects were nonexistent.
In an Oct. 15 statement, Bayan-Panay cited the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2025 audit report and described 16 BDP projects as “ghost projects,” while raising corruption allegations against the task force.
Joint Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (JRTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales disputed the accusations on Tuesday, accusing the group of misrepresenting audit findings to discredit development initiatives in formerly insurgency-affected communities.
Gonzales questioned what he described as the group’s contradictory position of claiming to advocate for disadvantaged communities while opposing government programs intended to provide essential services and infrastructure.
He also accused the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its alleged affiliated organizations of undermining community development efforts.
Meanwhile, Iloilo provincial government representative Dr. Raul Banias clarified that the COA findings concerned unfinished infrastructure projects and the return of unused funds, rather than confirmed cases of fictitious projects or corruption.
“There is no ghost project here. We returned the money because it is the provision of the law, and we allocated our local funds to complete all the uncompleted projects,” Banias said.
According to Banias, the provincial government returned approximately Php 196 million to the National Treasury in compliance with budget regulations. He said the province would use its own funds to complete the unfinished infrastructure.
Of the 14 remaining projects, four have secured funding and are being prepared for procurement, while the other 10 are expected to receive allocations under the provincial budgets for 2027 and 2028.
Banias explained that construction costs in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas have contributed to project delays and funding shortages.
He cited one project requiring an additional Php 2 million beyond its original Php 1 million BDP allocation. A classroom project in Barangay Igtuble also needs another Php 1.8 million on top of its initial Php 3 million budget.
“That is our commitment. So that allegation is grossly wrong. And there is no ghost project,” Banias maintained.
The provincial government reiterated its commitment to completing the projects despite funding constraints.
The allegations remain disputed, with the task force and provincial officials rejecting claims that the unfinished projects constitute ghost projects.
