Jail time awaits barangay officials who split cash aid among families – DILG

MANILA, Philippines — Barangay officials involved in the illegal subdividing of the government’s cash assistance among two or three families may face jail time or suspension, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned Saturday.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said splitting the financial subsidy from the social amelioration program is in violation of Republic Act 11469 or “The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” which mandated the distribution of the aid to 18 million low-income families considered most vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kung totoo man po ang mga reports na ‘yan na hinati nga ang ayuda para sa mga pamilya, ‘yan po ay pinagbabawal sa batas at pwede po silang masuspende at makulong pa kung ginawa talaga nila,”  Malaya said in the “Laging Handa” online press briefing.

(If those reports are true that the cash aid is split between families, that is illegal and they may either be suspended or be sent to jail if they really did such a thing.)

DILG earlier said it received reports of the cash assistance being divided among families in a barangay to benefit more people.

In Cabatuan, Isabela, residents complained that local officials decided to divide the P5,500 cash aid among individuals – some of whom not even in the list of beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Malaya then urged the public to immediately report to DILG the occurrence of such or similar anomaly in their respective areas.

“Kung meron po kayong ebidensya na ang inyong kapitan o ang iyong local government official ay ‘yan nga ginawa, ipadala niyo po kaagad-agad sa DILG,” Malaya told the public.

(If you have any evidence that your barangay captain or any local government official did such a thing, please inform the DILG right away.)