50 barangay chiefs face preventive suspension over SAP anomalies – Año

MANILA, Philippines — Fifty barangay officials will be placed under preventive suspension as they face allegations of anomalies  in the distribution of cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday.

The 50 barangay officials are among the 155  who were the subjects of criminal complaints filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Año told President Rodrigo Duterte in a taped meeting.

The complaints were for malversation, corruption, estafa, and other graft-related anomalies in the distribution of the SAP, Año said.

“I’m now coordinating with Ombudsman Samuel Martires and his office and I already submitted these cases. And within the week, I’m expecting that 50 barangay captains will be issued with preventive suspension order while the Ombudsman is investigative the administrative aspect of their cases,” Año, speaking in Filipino, told the President.

Of the 50, Año said 13 are from Metro Manila, 13 from Ilocos, 10 are from Cagayan Valley, three are from Central Luzon, and 11 are from Calabarzon.

After the President placed several areas on quarantine in mid-March, the government distributed cash aid to some 18 million low-income families to help them cope with the effects of the pandemic.

/atm