DISTRIBUTION of any forms of financial assistance, locally known as “ayuda,” is prohibited 10 days before the May 12 national and local elections (NLE).
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia made this reminder on Saturday, April 26, 2025, saying in a radio interview that from May 2 to 12, ayuda payouts are prohibited except for medical and burial assistance.
He said it covers the Department of Social and Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the controversial Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (Akap).
Garcia said violators will face charges for violation of the Omnibus Election Code, which is punishable by imprisonment.
Earlier, the Comelec issued ban exemption on the Department of Agriculture’s P20 per kilo Rice Project, which will be piloted in the Visayas within the week.
However, in order to implement the program, local government units are required to secure separate certificates of exemption if they resell rice products at a lower price and that the distribution and sale of subsidized rice should take place in public places allowing media, civil society, and interest groups to observe. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)