THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday said 301 barangay officials have been charged by the PNP for anomalies related to the distribution of the first tranche of the emergency cash assistance under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
The number is 167 higher than the number of barangay officials charged by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) before the Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Justice as of last week.
DILG undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the updated number of barangay officials who have been charged was as of Tuesday.
“Hindi po hihinto ang DILG at ang PNP sa paghabol sa mga kurakot na barangay, LGU officials, at personnel na ito (The DILG and the PNP will not stop in running after corrupt barangay, LGU officials and personnel),” Malaya said, adding more cases will be filed in the coming days.
Malaya said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has given strict instructions to the PNP leadership to ensure that all erring barangay officials are held liable for corrupting the cash subsidy program, especially since the program was established to help out poor families harshly affected by the economic impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Malaya said it is infuriating that these officials found a way to engage in corrupt activities during the COVID-19 crisis when people are in dire need of assistance.
MAlaya said the 301 charged officials include 57 barangay chairmen and 57 kagawads. The rest are secretaries, health workers, treasurers, Sangguniang Bayan chairmen and other officials and employees.
Also charged were 125 civilian co-conspirators, according to Malaya.
Malaya said some of the barangay officials charged were barangay San Vicente chairman Ariel Hiquina, barangay health worker Elizabeth Oligan and town health worker Nancy Bombarda from San Jacinto, Pangasinan. They were accused of conspiring with each other in splitting the SAP cash aids for distribution to two persons, a violation of the regulation that the financial assistance is strictly for one beneficiary only.
In Villaba, Leyte, Malaya said barangay Balite chairman Edison Franco allegedly conspired with the barangay treasurer, health worker and a day care teacher in deducting P1,600 from the assistance given to beneficiaries. The deducted funds were reportedly given to residents not included in the list of SAP beneficiaries.
“These are cases on the ground that we encourage the residents to report, that’s why we continue to encourage the people to report these heartless officials and we will ensure these information are acted upon,” he added.
