BULACAN, Philippines –Police arrested a barangay (village) councilor in Hagonoy town for graft allegations after he has been reportedly collecting more than half of the P6,500 cash aid under the government’s special amelioration program (SAP).
Col. Roginald Francisco, Hagonoy police chief, said they arrested Danilo Flores, 66, of Barangay San Agustin on Saturday night on the order of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Flores was caught on video while telling SAP cash aid recipients that they would only get P3,000 of the cash aid and that the remaining P3,500 would be given to the town mayor for distribution to non-SAP beneficiaries.
The video went viral on social media after a certain Lhon Villamayor Perez posted it on Facebook on April 27.
Mayor Raulito Manlapaz dismissed Flores’ claims and denied any involvement in the alleged irregularity in the SAP cash aid distribution.
SAP beneficiaries in Barangay San Agustin said they were not informed about how the amount deducted from the cash grant will be spent.
But Flores said he and the SAP cash aid recipients had an internal agreement that part of the cash aid would be given to those who did qualify for the financial assistance.