DILG charges 42 barangay officials, 140 more may face graft raps over cash aid anomalies

More local government officials face criminal charges over anomalies in the distribution of cash aid during the pandemic, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño bared on Friday that there are now 42 local government officials charged for supposedly mishandling funds under the Social Amelioration Program, mainly for the unfair selection of beneficiaries as well as kickbacks.

Diño added that around 140 other show cause orders have been handed to barangay executives, which will determine if complaints in the process or for delays in the release of subsidies will merit the filing of cases. These are processed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police, which are forwarded to the Department of Justice.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año also said on Thursday that barangay officials are being charged for splitting the cash aid, which ranges from ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 per household, in order to benefit more families. Others would pocket a portion of the aid, he added.

Agency data showed that there were 374 complaints lodged against 155 suspects from April 1 to May 19, mainly involving barangay captains and their personnel. They may face charges for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commissioner Greco Belgica said his office received 3,992 reports, mostly complaining about the supposedly unfair selection of cash aid beneficiaries, qualifications for the aid, and the exclusion of some households in the list of recipients. (Content reposted from CNN Philippines. Photo from Abante News Online)