CLOSE to P3 million intended as payment for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) recipients in Ifugao province were lost to robbers.
In a report coming from the Kiangan Municipal Police Station, Marlon Padolnaton Guimangad, Chester Bulayo Guazon, and Jeffrey Humiwat Buhyag personally reported the incident after they were robbed at Sitio Awa, Julongan, Kiangan.
Investigation showed that at 6:10 p.m. Monday, May 21, Guazon was holding a backpack containing P2.7 million and rode a motorcycle with Buhyag towards Tinoc, Ifugao while Guimangad, who was also riding his motorcycle followed.
While on their way, Guimangad who went ahead was flagged down by three unidentified suspects and declared a hold-up.
The three robbers took the back pack from Guazon and ran towards Julongan, Kiangan.
The suspects allegedly were wearing black masks, dark pants and dark t-shirts while the case is for further investigation.
The Department of Social Welfare Development in the Cordillera clarified the victims are personnel of the Lagawe Multi-Purpose Development Cooperative (LMDC), a conduit of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) which is the agency’s partner in the release of Pantawid Pamilya cash grants.
The money taken from the victims are supposed to cover the cash grants for the 1,296 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries of Tinoc, Ifugao.
In a statement by officer-in-charge regional director Janet Armas said as of May 23, the LBP, as the one responsible for the grant release, assured DSWD that pay-out will be rescheduled once the local government unit and the Philippine National Police (PNP) clear the area.
“Meanwhile, DSWD-CAR will continue its close coordination with the PNP and the LBP until the resolution of this incident,” added the statement.
“The DSWD-CAR apologizes for the inconveniences that the incident may cause. Updates on the release of grants will be provided once report or information is provided by the LBP,” the statement further reads.