THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denied Wednesday, March 6, the claim of opposition senatorial candidate Gary Alejano that the government funded for the campaign materials of Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go during the nationwide Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) event.
Alejano released on Tuesday, March 5, photos of a shirt printed with Go and President Rodrigo Duterte’s face, and documents apparently showing how the government paid for the shirts, which were included in the kits for the LNB event.
But DILG Secretary Eduardo Año clarified in a statement that the memorandum, which Alejano has exposed, simply encourages village chiefs to attend and participate the 1st National Convention of the Liga ng mga Barangay and authorizes them to charge their traveling expenses and registration fees from their local funds.
The fee of the attendees ranges from P13,800 to P19,800.
“We wish to emphasize that nothing in the memorandum permitted the use of government funds to pay for any campaign materials of any candidate. So, Alejano is barking up the wrong tree when he showed the DILG memorandum as basis for his unsubstantiated allegation,” he said.
“The Liga National Convention is an independent activity initiated and implemented by the national league officers. They have their own organizers. Just like in any local government league activity, the DILG just provided the guidelines so that the activity is in accordance with law,” he added.
Año said he was also assured by the LNB officers that no public funds were used to purchase campaign materials of any candidate.
He said the shirts were in fact bought and paid by “Bayan For Bong Go,” a private organization supporting the candidacy of Go.
Año said he was also assured that the LNB remains an apolitical and non-partisan association of village chiefs.
“The DILG under my watch will never allow any irregularity moreso allowing the use of public funds for unauthorized items. ‘Yung gumawa ng allegations ang hanapan ng proof rather than entertaining fake news,” he said.
“I also know Bong Go personally and he will not allow barangay captains to spend a single centavo for him. Therefore this allegation by Alejano, who happens to be a senatorial candidate, is nothing but fake news,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)