DILG to summon 43 mayors over poor SAP payout accomplishment

FILE: Local officials and personnel of the Department of Social and Development (DSWD) observe proper distribution of emergency cash subsidies under the government’s Social Amelioration Program to qualified beneficiaries at the Gatid Elementary School in Santa Cruz, Laguna on Monday (May 04, 2020). (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will give show cause orders to 43 mayors over their poor performance in the distribution of the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to low-income families in their localities.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said these 43 local chief executives (LCEs) must explain why they had poor performance despite the two extensions of the deadline given to local government units (LGUs) with the latest deadline ending midnight of May 10.

“While the vast majority of the LGUs were able to distribute their SAP before the deadline leading to a national pay-out rate of 97 percent yesterday, may ilan pa rin na naiwan (there are those who were still left out), thus, the DILG and the public deserves to know why they failed to complete their distribution,” he said.

“Maglalabas na tayo ng (We will issue) show cause order sa mga naiiwang (to the remaining) 43 mayors nationwide dahil sa bagal ng pagbibigay ng ayuda sa kani-kanilang mga (because of their slow progress in giving aid to their) constituents. Kasi nga meron pa tayong (It is because we still have) 3 percent na mga family beneficiaries ang hindi pa rin nakakatanggap (of family beneficiaries who have not received aid) as of Wednesday,” he said.

He said that the 43 LGUs had a 79-percent and below accomplishment rate as of the final deadline set on May 10 midnight.

Eleven of these mayors are in Western Visayas, eight are in Mimaropa, five in Central Visayas, four in Davao Region, and four in the National Capital Region.

LGUs that had poor distribution rate and did not meet the May 10 deadline also include two each in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and one in Central Luzon.

PNP handles SAP graft, corruption cases

DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, meanwhile, clarified that graft and corruption cases related to the handling of the SAP fund will now be investigated by the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and no longer by the DILG field offices.

He said Año has decided to transfer the probe of corrupt practices of barangay officials of SAP from the DILG field offices to the PNP CIDG field offices for the immediate filing of cases since the CIDG has more investigators than the DILG field offices.

“Iyong mga tara, kaltas, splitting at pare-parehas ang pangalan ng nakatanggap ng SAP ay CIDG na ang mag-iimbestiga niyan. Ngunit kung mga violations of social distancing, tinolerate ni kapitan iyong tupada, nagkaroon ng parade o naging pabaya si kapitan sa mass gathering, ‘yan po ang may show cause kasi administrative case ‘yan (The cases of tara, deductions, splitting and those similar names who have received SAP will be investigated by the CIDG. However, violations of social distancing, tolerance of illegal cockfighting by barangay chairpersons, conduct of parades or negligence in mass gatherings, those will be issued show cause orders because those are administrative cases),” he said.

He added that Año will not tolerate a single instance of graft and corruption.

“‘Pag may (If there is) ‘tara’ (corruption system), may kaltas, merong splitting, pulis na po ang pupunta sa inyo at kung sakaling caught in the act kayo, aresto na po kayo kaagad (there is deduction, splitting, the police will come to you and if you are caught in the act, you will be arrested immediately),” he added.

Malaya said that the public may participate in validating the list of beneficiaries of SAP in their communities by checking the list posted in barangay halls, which is also a requirement for LGUs to get the second tranche of SAP to be downloaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Iyong compliance ng mga barangay sa pagpaskil ay mataas, 97 percent ng lahat ng barangay pinaskil ang mga listahan ng kanilang mga benepisyaryo. Kaya nakikita ng mga kababayan natin kung sino ang tiwali dahil makikita mo sa listahan kung mayroong anomalya (The compliance of barangays in terms of posting lists is high. Around 97 percent of all barangay posted the list of their beneficiaries.

So the people now see who is corrupt because you can see in the list if there are anomalies),” he said. (PR)