2 cities get ultimatum over SAP distribution

CEBU, Philippines —  The cities of Cebu and Mandaue have given until today to complete the distribution of their emergency cash grants under Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

DSWD gave the ultimatum as it cannot proceed with the second tranche of SAP distribution sans the completion of the first initiative.

“We cannot start the second tranche without these two local government units finishing their distribution,” said DSWD-7 Assistant Regional Director Shalaine Lucero.

Lucero said Cebu City has distributed the aid to 127,178 out of the 139,482 target beneficiaries, while Mandaue City has paid 50,416 out of the 55,775 beneficiaries, as of yesterday.

Moreover, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has filed criminal charges against 134 barangay officials in the country before the Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Justice for alleged anomalies in the SAP payout.

In a statement, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said this represents a 320 percent increase in the number of barangay officials who are now facing criminal charges for alleged offenses in the distribution of the first tranche of SAP cash aid in just four days.

As of May 20, there were only 42 barangay officials charged by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for alleged SAP irregularities.

Año said the PNP-CIDG will file nine more cases in the next few days, and is fast tracking the case build-up on 86 other cases.

He said a total of 318 complainants went to the PNP-CIDG and its regional field units to express their “disgust and disappointment” and to give statements over the wrongdoings of their barangay officials during the SAP distribution. KQD (FREEMAN)