By John Rey Saavedra/Philippine News Agency
CEBU CITY — Distribution of Pantawid Pasada Program (PPP) fuel cards subsidy to the public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators in Central Visayas is momentarily stopped while the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is yet to rule on its exemption from the election ban, an official said Monday.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Region 7 (Central Visayas) Regional Director Eduardo Montealto said the agency and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) have sought for clarification from Comelec.
The LTFRB’s official depositary bank partnered by the national government for the distribution of PPP fuel cards to the beneficiaries asked the electoral body whether they can continue with the release of the subsidy under the program despite the elections on May 13.
“Hangtod karon wala pa gihapoy klaro nga gipagawas ang Comelec sa query sa LBP sa ilaha kun puwede ba nato ipadayon og distribute bisan (Until now, the Comelec has not yet clarified with the query by LBP if we can continue with the distribution even) during election period,” Montealto said in a radio interview.
The LTFRB stood pat on the position that the program should go on despite the elections, considering that fuel cards subject for distribution were funded under the 2018 national budget, he said.
However, the regional director of LTFRB in Region 7 said that his office has momentarily ceased in engaging with the PUJ operators in giving out the fuel cards so that the program won’t be used for partisan politics.
“Politicians can easily ride on with this program. They can call up our office to ask for the release of the fuel cards. Even if we will not heed on the politicians’ request, but the impression that they exerted effort to facilitate for its release is the evil that we sought to avoid,” Montealto said in Cebuano.
The regional head of the LTFRB said they started to hold the release of the fuel cards since March 29, the start of the local campaign, but it is just now that he wanted it known to the beneficiaries to avoid them coming to the office for inquiry.
He, however, said that not one of the beneficiaries of remaining 6,500 unclaimed cards have inquired about it.
“We find it hard to call them to claim for the cards at start of the program,” he said in Cebuano.
The PPP fuel cards provide subsidy amounts of PHP5,000 for 2018 and PHP20,000 for 2019, in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive on PUJ modernization program in the country.
Montealto said the 2019 subsidy has not been debited yet to the fuel cards, as distribution of 2018 subsidy has not been completed.
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