By Jennifer P. Rendon
Complaints of alleged irregularities in the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) have taken Iloilo and the rest of the country by storm.
But as far as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Iloilo field unit is concerned, they’re only attending to one complaint as of now.
The probe stemmed from complaints from several SAP beneficiaries in Maasin, Iloilo who were allegedly made to “donate” a portion of their P6,000 grant.
A photo of a waiver, which made rounds on Facebook, showed that the beneficiary will voluntarily give P1,000 to his or her “kasimaryo” or townmate who was not included in the SAP list.
It was gathered that the CIDG-Iloilo has sent investigators in the area to validate the complaint.
Police Lieutenant Emmanuel Tingson, CIDG-Iloilo chief, said most of the complaints they received were through short message service (SMS) or text message.
The CIDG did receive a written complaint from Cabatuan town where the sender enumerated the list of ineligible “kasimaryos,” in violation of the guidelines of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Tingson said they received 28 text messages from different areas of the province.
“But we’re still going on through with the complaint because it might not fall under our jurisdiction,” he said.
Most of the complaints accused barangay officials of listing ineligible beneficiaries, which might be the purview of DSWD.
The CIDG, on the other hand, would investigate if a barangay official has included ghost beneficiaries, specifically those who are literally dead, in the SAP list.
Earlier, DSWD-6 stressed that a beneficiary should receive the full amount of the SAP grant
Rhea Peñaflor, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Specialized Programs, made the statement following reports that some local government units (LGUs) slashed the amount in the guise of donation to those who did not avail of the SAP.
“That’s why, we’re asking the DILG to look on LGUs that have allegedly cut the amount of the subsidy. That’s a violation of the provision of Republic Act 11469,” she said.
RA 11469 is the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.
“If LGUs have violated the law, which is the P6,000 subsidy per family, if they slashed the amount or coerced the beneficiary to donate or give and if the person doesn’t want it, they could be liable,” Peñaflor said.
The PNP has dipped its fingers into the SAP mess after DILG Secretary Eduardo Año directed the PNP to gather evidences and establish a strong case against local executives for alleged graft and corruption in the SAP distribution.
Gamboa subsequently directed the CIDG and the provincial and city police offices to conduct case build-up operations against erring local executives.
The case build-up will be done in coordination with the DSWD and the DILG.
The Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, under the supervision of the Administrative Support Task Force, will closely monitor the progress of investigation of these cases to ensure successful prosecution of the guilty party.
It was gathered that the CIDG will closely examine disbursement records, receipts, and other paper trail evidence, as well as sworn statements of fund recipients to uncover alleged irregularities.
