The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said 437 local elected and appointed public officials and their civilian co-conspirators are now facing criminal charges while 626 more are under probe by the PNP-CIDG for alleged anomalies in the pay-outs of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
“Habang patuloy ang pangalawang yugto ng pamimigay ng SAP, puspusan naman ang ating pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa mga tiwaling mga opisyal at ng kanilang mga kasabwat. Sobrang nakakadismaya na nagawa pa nilang mangurakot sa ayudang nakalaan para sa sa ating mga kababayan na lubhang apektado ng pandemya,” said DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año.
He said that of the 437 cases filed before the various Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Justice, 203 were elected public officials, including a Municipal Mayor, City/Municipal Councilors, Barangay Captains, Barangay Kagawads, SK Chairmen and SK Councilors.
Another 102 are barangay and city personnel, including Barangay Secretaries, Barangay Treasurers, Barangay Health Workers, Home Owner’s Association Officers, Purok Leaders, City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer, SAP Enumerators and Day Care Teachers while the remaining 132 were civilian co-conspirators.
The DILG earlier filed complaints against 50 barangay officials from among those currently being investigated with a prayer for their immediate preventive suspension.
The DILG Chief added that the majority of the cases filed were violations on Republic Act (RA) 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 11469 or Bayanihan Act; and RA 11332 or Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, among others.
“Ang laban natin sa korapsiyon ay kasing-tindi ng laban natin sa COVID-19, mahirap sugpuin pero hindi tayo susuko hanggang maparusahan ang mga tiwali,” he said.
He lauded the efforts of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for vigorously investigating 336 SAP related-cases across the country.
Of the 336 cases, 240 were already filed with the Prosecutors Office, three are for case filing, six were endorsed to other agencies, 46 are under investigation or case build-up, and 41 were dismissed for lack of probable cause or insufficient evidence.
On a regional level, 50 cases were filed in Region XII, 40 cases in Region VI, 33 cases in Region VII, 30 cases in Region IV-A, 26 cases in Region VIII, 24 cases in Region XI, and 21 cases in National Capital Region.
There are also 16 cases in Region V, 14 cases in Region 4B; 15 cases in Region I, 14 cases in Region II, 12 cases in Region 10; 12 cases in CARAGA, 10 in Cordillera Administrative Region; and two in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
He acknowledged that a huge part of the success in going after these public officials are the members of the public who bravely filed complaints with the nearest PNP stations.
Año is confident that there will be lesser complaints on anomalies now that the second tranche of the SAP is distributed mostly through electronic means.
