437 charged for cash aid irregularities
MANILA, Philippines — Some 300 local officials and workers as well as over 100 of their alleged civilian cohorts have been charged in court for various offenses in the payout of cash aid under the social amelioration program.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said 626 other persons remain under investigation by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) over alleged anomalies in the first tranche distribution of the financial assistance aimed at helping low income families survive the health crisis.
In a statement on Sunday, Año said that the cases were filed over the subsidy payout irregularities with the different prosecutor’s offices nationwide against 203 local elected officials, including mayors, councilors and barangay officials as well as 102 local government and social welfare workers.
Also charged were their 132 alleged civilian accomplices.
Año noted that most of the cases filed against the respondents were for violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 11469 or the Bayanihan Heal as One Act; and RA 11332 or the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases.
“Our campaign against corruption is as tough as our fight against COVID-19. [Corruption] is difficult to eradicate but we will not give up until we punish the corrupt,” the secretary stressed.
Año lauded the PNP-CIDG for its vigorous investigation and filing of 336 cash subsidy-related cases nationwide.
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