MANILA - The National Youth Commission on Thursday said it has cut its ties with a foundation associated with opposition senator Bam Aquino and will no longer put too much focus on concerns of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

NYC officer-in-charge Ronald Gian Cardema said the commission found out that it was contributing about P1.7 million to the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations of the Philippines, which is organized annually by the TAYO Awards Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the office of Sen. Aquino.

Aquino previously served as NYC commissioner-at-large from May 2001 to January 2003.

Cardema said the NYC instead will put up its own youth leadership awards, named after President Rodrigo Duterte.

He also said the NYC will “redirect programs and activities towards the desired policies of Duterte and not anymore focus mainly on LGBT matters just like in the previous years.”

“We are the National Youth Commission, not an LGBT commission,” Cardema said.

“We are here to serve tens of millions of youth, not only a specific sector,” he said. “The LGBT community is already our friend and has already established mark in society.”

The NYC was previously led by Ice Seguerra, who is a transgender man. Seguerra resigned as NYC chair last month.