Seven barangay officials in Cagayan de Oro City and Leyte were charged for allegedly including unqualified people to the list of cash assistance beneficiaries under the Social Amelioration Program.
Police Major Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel, director of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the filing of charges against them should serve as a lesson to other barangay officials to behave.
In Cagayan de Oro City, Analie Tabaosares was slapped with graft and criminal charges for excluding a single parent in Barangay Bulua from the SAP list of beneficiaries.
In Maasin City in Southern Leyte, barangay chairperson Esterlina Jacobe and Norma Adobas were also charged for including non-qualified SAP beneficiaries in the list of cash assistance recipients.
In Palompon, Southern Leyte, four barangay officials led by Chairman Edison Franco were charged for alleged various anomalies in SAP distribution.
All of them, according to Coronel, were charged for violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) in relation to RA 11469 (Bayanihan Heal as One Act).
The CIDG has been tasked to run after barangay officials involved in SAP distribution anomalies. Several officials have been slapped with graft and criminal charges.
In Capiz, Police Lt. Col. Jun Balmaceda, CIDG chief for Western Visayas, said that graft and corrupt charges have been filed against Barangay Captain Marilyn Blanco of Barangay Lanigpa village in Panay.
According to CIDG Capiz chief Police Major Chris Devaras, Blanco was allegedly reducing the amount received by beneficiaries qualified for SAP aid.
Residents of Barangay Lanigpa came forward to accuse Blanco of deducting P2,000 each from the P6,000 cash aid given under SAP.
Blanco allegedly told SAP beneficiaries that the amount deducted will then be used as fund to be given to those who were not eligible to receive SAP aid.
“CIDG is encouraging individuals to report any SAP irregularities to the nearest police station or to us,” Balmaceda added. (Aaron Recuenco and Tara Yap)