By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Enraged by the report that a pregnant woman who is a beneficiary of the P10,000 worth of cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) was short-changed by a barangay official, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday (10 June 2024) ordered the regional director of the DSWD Field Office 11 (Davao Region) to assist in the filing of charges against the corrupt local executive.
It was learned that the unnamed barangay official deducted P8,500 from the P10,000 worth of aid given to a pregnant woman last June 6.
“We are calling on all beneficiaries to never allow anybody to give their cash grants to them. Their grants are for them. And if somebody tries to get it, what they should do is report to the DSWD rather than give the cash grant,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The DSWD Davao Region field office identified the victim as Anne Villarin, a beneficiary of P10,000 worth of cash aid under the AICS during the June 6 payout in Davao.
A still unnamed individual later told the pregnant Villarin “to remit the P10,000” to her barangay only to find out that the P8,500 was withheld from her and she was only given P1,500 by the barangay official.
“As soon as we saw the complaining victim online, we sent our social workers to see her and they were able to verify her complaint about the original P10,000 cash aid becoming a measly P1,500 after it was remitted to her barangay,” Gatchalian said.
The DSWD chief ordered Davao Regional Director Vanessa Goc-ong to accompany Villarin in filing both administrative and criminal complaints against the barangay official involved.
(el Amigo/mnm)
