P1,000-worth of aid in kind? ‘Just give it in cash, simplier,’ Drilon says

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon. Screen grab / Senate PRIB file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Senate  Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday urged the government to just give the P1,000 assistance to beneficiaries in cash, citing the logistics costs and possible “commissions” at the local level if  given in kind.

While  he welcomed  the government’s move to provide assistance to people affected by the latest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)  in so-called “NCR  Plus,”  Drilon said the logistics costs could reduce the “net assistance” to the beneficiaries.

“The 1,000 ‘ayuda’ is needed by our hungry countrymen, unemployed country men but the instructions that it be in kind has its own disadvantages,” Drilon said over ABS-CBN News’s “Headstart.”

“As I said, the logistics costs—ask any businessman— 10 percent is a normal logistics cost of purchase, etc,” he added.

Aside from the logistics costs, Drilon raised the possible corruption allegations that would later arise if the money is given directly to local officials.

“I can assure you a week from now, you will hear allegations of corruption in the purchase of this ayuda in kind from the local government units,”  the senator  said.

“Just give it in cash, simplier,” Drilon then said.

While he recognized though concerns that  the cash aid  would just be used by “unscrupulous” individuals to buy alcohol, the senator stressed that giving the aid in cash is still “much better” than “ayuda in kind.”

“We must balance the  stakes  and at the end of the day  you will find out that giving it in cash also with it’s  undeniable   shortcomings is much better than   ayuda  in  kind. But we welcome this,”  he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already approved the P1,000 in-kind assistance to beneficiaries in   the National Capital Region, and four  nearby provinces— Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal—or the “NCR Plus.

These areas were placed under  the strictest  quarantine  measure from March 29 to April 4 due  to a surge in Covid-19 cases.

JPV