MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday warned local government units (LGUs) against scammers and purveyors of disinformation exploiting the Office of the President's assistance programs, saying beneficiaries are never required to pay fees or provide unauthorized information to access government funds.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the warning following reports that unscrupulous individuals have been approaching LGUs regarding the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF).
“Mag-ingat sa scam at disinformation tungkol sa LGSF at SCPF ng Office of the President (Beware of scams and disinformation involving the Local Government Support Fund and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President),” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
“Hinding-hindi maniningil ng kabayaran o anuman ang gobyerno sa mga LGU beneficiaries upang makuha ang kanilang budget (The government will never ask LGU beneficiaries to pay any fee or charge to access their budget),” she added.
She urged local officials to carefully verify the identities of individuals seeking information about the programs.
“Kapag may pumunta, humingi ng inyong mga impormasyon, tingnan ninyo lamang po at suriin kung ang mga taong pumupunta sa inyo ay nararapat na kausapin (If someone approaches you asking for information, carefully verify whether that person is authorized to deal with you),” she said.
Castro warned that sensitive information could be used to divert benefits intended for legitimate recipients.
She advised LGUs to immediately report suspicious activities to the Office of the President.
The LGSF finances priority programs and projects of local governments, while the SCPF provides funding for community development and assistance initiatives.
Latest government tally showed that 1,276 LGUs nationwide have already received financial assistance for the rice program.
Meanwhile, the SCPF has reached 37,048 barangays, or about 82 percent of the country's roughly 42,000 villages nationwide, with total releases amounting to PHP7.41 billion. (PNA)
