DAVAO CITY (PIA) — The official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI has reminded beneficiaries to safeguard the cash assistance extended to them, saying “others have no right to claim a portion of it.”
The call came after a video of one of their beneficiaries in Davao del Sur claimed that some of their barangay officials allegedly took a huge chunk of the cash assistance she received.
“Kung unsa ang gihatag sa imoha sa gobyerno, imoha na dili dapat makigtunga si barangay or si kinsa man. Ikaw ang nag-pirma ana sa payroll. That is for you—you alone,” DSWD XI regional director Vanessa B. Goc-ong emphasized during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas held on June 11.
(What is given to you by the government is solely yours. No officials from the barangay or anyone else should fleece it. You are the one who signed the payroll.)
Goc-ong reported that they immediately reached out to the victim and promptly conducted an investigation.
“We captured the video because it went viral, and it was alarming; it was this concern for DSWD. Kami po ay nasaktan, talagang shocked bakit ganun,” she said.
(We were hurt and really shocked by why it happened.)
Goc-ong confirmed that the beneficiary in the viral video is from Barangay Sinawilan, Matanao, Davao del Sur. Initially, she received P10,000 under the Ayuda para sa Kapus ang Kita Program (AKAP) on June 6 in Digos City, but as alleged, some of their barangay officials took P8,500 from the P10,00 she received, leaving her with only P1,500.
After meeting with the victim, Goc-ong said that the victim only wanted to get back the money taken from her since she would give birth next month. However, she encouraged the victim to file a complaint and assured her of their continued support.
Also, Goc-ong said that they had assisted the victim in filing a formal complaint with the police.
Since the victim felt that the perpetrators and their supporters were harassing her, Goc-ong said that the police committed to providing protection to the victim while filing a case before a court.
The DSWD XI official lamented that there are some people who will take advantage of the cash assistance received by their beneficiaries despite the safety mechanisms they imposed to safeguard their beneficiaries.
She added that since most of these perpetrators hold positions, it would be easier for them to intimidate the beneficiaries. In return, the beneficiaries will not complain because of fear, thereby allowing these perpetrators to victimize more beneficiaries.
Goc-ong revealed that they had received reports in the past concerning the cash assistance received by their beneficiaries. Unfortunately, she disclosed that “no formal complaint was filed,” making this illegal act impossible to perpetuate.
She urged their beneficiaries to report any unlawful acts concerning the cash assistance they received. If they experienced one, she called them to surface and file formal complaints.
“If we can encourage them, even if it’s an anonymous complaint, papuntahin lang sa amin. We will not disclose their identity if ganun ang fear nila,” she said.
(If we can encourage them, even if it’s an anonymous complaint, just send it to us. We will not disclose their identity if that is their fear.)
“Important kasi ma-document natin yan na mga concern on the ground, file formal complaints in courts, and for purposes na ma-vindicate natin ang lahat ng mga possible victims, in order to deter future happenings,” she added.
(It is important for us so that we can document those concerns on the ground, file formal complaints in courts, and vindicate all the possible victims to prevent this from happening in the future.)
She is optimistic, though, that with the agency’s response and firm resolve regarding the unlawful chunking of the cash assistance of one of their beneficiaries in Davao del Sur, this would encourage other beneficiaries who experience the same act to surface and file complaints.
Goc-ong revealed that they will strengthen their education campaign to protect their beneficiaries from people who will take advantage of the assistance they receive.
Meanwhile, Goc-ong said that aside from administrative charges to be filed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the formal complaint of the victim, the DSWD will also file appropriate charges to ensure that individuals involved will be sanctioned.
“The affidavit complaint was already finished yesterday; we are just collating or completing our case buildup, and hopefully this afternoon we will be able to file it at the Department of Justice for our criminal charges,” she revealed.
Goc-ong said that the charge is against the barangay captain and some barangay councilors in the said barangay who were directly involved in the unlawful act of taking a huge portion of the cash assistance received by the victim. (CLC/ASO/PIA-XI)
