MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed criminal charges against 301 barangay (village) officials for their alleged involvement in irregularities in the distribution of cash assistance in the first tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.
“The 301 barangay officials facing criminal cases as of June 2 is just the latest figure reported to the DILG, hence, people should expect the filing of more criminal cases in the coming days,” Interior Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.
Malaya said village officials were charged for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases.
Malaya added that more criminal cases will be filed as the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are undertaking case buildup against 76 other barangay officials for alleged corruption in SAP payout.
Of the 301 rogue barangay officials, Malaya said most were barangay chairmen (village heads) and barangay kagawads (village council members).
Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, over 18 million low-income households are entitled to a monthly cash aid of P5,000 to P8,000 for two months to assist them during the coronavirus disease pandemic.