Senators eye performance audit of 4Ps program

MANILA, Philippines — Three senators, including Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, are planning a Senate inquiry into government’s implementation of the “4Ps” program

“4Ps” or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a government initiative that offers conditional cash grants to the country’s poorest of the poor families.

Senator Panfilo Lacson disclosed their planned inquiry when asked on Monday about the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) order to local officials and politicians not to participate in government programs and activities, particularly in payouts for the unconditional cash transfer (UCT).

The directive was in response to reports that some politicians were allegedly trying to “hijack” the UCT distribution to boost their candidacy.

Sought for comment, Lacson said he, Sotto, and Senator Gringo Honasan had recently discussed the issue.

“We plan to call for a hearing to inquire into the proper use of the 4P’s program including its accomplishments in accordance with its defined objective, the accounting of the monies so far disbursed and other relevant issues surrounding the program,” he said in a statement.

Lacson noted that the 4Ps program has started during the last two years of the administration of then President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

And the allocations for the said program, he said, have increased “many times over.”

“It’s time to conduct a performance audit or review of the Pantawid program to find out what it has achieved so far,” Lacson said. /je