ARAYAT - The Office of the Vice Mayor here town has launched an investigation on the alleged anomalies in the distribution of P180 million cash subsidy under the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to 13,799 poorest of the poor residents of this town.
This came after numerous complaints were lodged before the said office, as well as aired on social media regarding the alleged inclusion of undeserving and unqualified individuals on the list of recipients.
Among them is Joyce Mallari of Barangay San Jose Meysulao here who is a single mother of two children and a former overseas Filipino worker but has already settled in the country. Her father is currently on a “no work, no pay” set-up, but was not chosen as one of the beneficiaries.
“We are only puzzled on the basis in selecting beneficiaries. In my case, I was not included despite my family’s current situation while some of my neighbors who obviously have bigger means than us have received the cash subsidy,” she said.
According to Vice- Mayor Sixto “Pogi” Mallari, Joyce’s dilemma is not an isolated case based on the reports and complaints reaching his office.
“There were reports that some of the recipients were not only undeserving since they are not among the “poorest of the poor,” but are also unqualified because they are families or relatives of elected and appointed barangay officials which is a clear violation of the guidelines of SAP,” he said.
Aside from this, Mallari also disclosed some reports that barangay officials are alledgely asking for P1,500 from the recipients once they receive their financial aid.
The reports, meanwhile, were confirmed by Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) Elvira Gatus, saying families of appointed barangay officials and day care workers were included in the list.
“Based on the initial validation we have conducted, there are recipients who are family members or relatives of the barangay secretary, kagawad and daycare teachers,” she said.
Following the investigation, Gatus said some 31 beneficiaries, mostly from Barangay Lacmit here, have already returned the P6,500 cash subsidy they received under SAP.
The secretary of the said barangay has also resigned due to the incident, the MSWDO head furthered.
“We also encouraged other individuals who supposedly participated in the said practice to resign as a sign of courtesy, but they will still be held accountable for their actions,” she said.
Mallari, meanwhile, said that he will be leading the filing of appropriate charges on unqualified beneficiaries if they will not return the cash subsidy they received.
He said his office will continue to validate the list of recipients and will ask MSWDO to check those who are deemed unqualified or undeserving.
“The cash aid is for the poorest of the poor so let us give it to the deserving ones. I understand that everybody is affected by the ongoing lockdown but let us be more compassionate to the most affected families,” Mallari stressed.
He furthered said that he launched the investigation as soon as he received and verified reports so the list can be updated before the second tranche of cash subsidy will be distributed.
He also asked fellow elected officials to be more patient and understanding in performing their duties in this challenging time because this is when the people need the service of the government more.
“This is not the time to be political, more so to advance our personal interests at the expense of others. As much as I do not want to admonish my fellow officials during this time of crisis, we must seek accountability and this is what is needed now,” Mallari said. -- With reports from Chris Navarro