Authorities flag 'illegal' DSWD cash aid payout in Davao del Norte days before BSKE
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 23) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) allegedly conducted an “illegal closed-door” distribution of cash aid in Asuncion, Davao del Norte two days before last year's barangay elections, with residents from a different town supposedly posing as beneficiaries, the governor of the province told a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.
“Regarding po doon sa nangyayaring payout ng AICS program ng DSWD doon sa municipalities ng Asuncion, Davao Del Norte noong Oct. 28. Ito po ay nakarating sa akin na ang mga beneficiaries doon ay hindi taga munisipyo ng Asuncion, ito po ay mga tao galing sa munisipyo ng Kapalong,” Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubcahib said.
[Translation: Regarding the conduct of payout of AICS [Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation] of the DSWD in the municipality of Asuncion, Davao Del Norte on Oct. 28. It came to my attention that the beneficiaries lining up there were not residents of Asuncion but of Kapalong.]
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia noted during the hearing that cash aid was prohibited from Oct. 20 to 30 last year amid the conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, unless it was emergency assistance.
DSWD Undersecretary Fatima Dimaporo, however, denied that what the DSWD Region 11 did was illegal.
She also said that even if the individuals were not residents of Asuncion, all qualified Filipinos can receive the payouts wherever the area of distribution was.
“We had a payout activity but it was not AICS...it was a payout on the financial assistance that are ‘routinary and normally given by the department to qualified individuals. This is under item No. 32 of the Comelec exemption No. 23-056756. That is under our protective services program,” DSWD Regional Director Vanessa Gocong said.
In response, the Comelec said it would further investigate the alleged election offenses and if the aid distribution falls under the exemption coverage dates.
"Nagwo-worry tayo dahil meron...mga presence of kandidato," Garcia said. "Ibang usapan po iyon kapag may presence of kandidato sa distribution, yun po yung bawal, mag-distribute kayo nang mag-distribute, wala kami pakialam. Pero kapag may presence ng kandidato two days before the election, iba na po 'yun." It was not immediately clear who are the candidates he was referring to.
[Translation: We’re worrying because we heard there was presence of [barangay] candidates. That can be considered vote buying. You can all distribute cash aid, as long as there are no presence of candidates two days before the election.]
Locked gym entrance
Jubcahib said the distribution was done secretly in a gym whose entrance was locked, with only a “small entry,” making it appear there were no people inside. He added that there were no cars parked in the area.
“Pagkatapos 'yung chief of police ng Asuncion, nakita nila na bakit may payout dito na wala namang clearance," he narrated. "So ngayon, nagkabulabugan na, tumawag na ako kay Mayor Maria Timbol…So sabi niya, o hinakot yung mga tao dito sa Kapalong, sa munisipyo ko hinakot, dinala doon sa Asuncion."
[Translation: Then the police chief of Asuncion reported to me that they have seen the payout conduct, they said it has no clearance. So now, it’s exposed. I called Mayor Maria Timbol… She said her people from the municipality of Kapalong were brought to Asuncion.]
However, Davao del Norte Vice Governor Oyo Uy countered the claim, saying his investigation showed that ”elements of Asuncion Municipal Police office under the directive of Police Major Bryle Patalinghug were responsible in closing the doors of Asuncion municipal gym with an estimated 600 people inside."
The governor then said he deployed police and attorneys to probe the entities in the area. “Nandoon iyong tauhan ng DSWD, ayaw pang magbigay ng ID, niyakap iyong bag nila, nandiyan ýung pera, documents, ayaw nila ibigay iyong kanilang identities...ng DSWD.” he added.
[Translation: The DSWD personnel there didn’t want to hand in their IDs, so we confiscated their bags along with the money, and documents, they didn’t want to give their identities.]
In the hearing, it was also revealed that there were beneficiaries who were supposed to receive ₱5,000 cash assistance but were “forced” to only take ₱1,000 as they were led to a separate room. Uy denied that, saying the beneficiaries received the full amount they were entitled to.
“The confusion stemmed from a misunderstanding, wherein some beneficiaries expected a different amount to what they are entitled,” Uy said.
On the other hand, Jubcahib also said that Gocong came to “rescue” the DSWD personnel. He said they filed a report with the police against Gocong and recorded the incident.
“To be clear…Wala pong nangyaring sunog, baha, in short walang nangyaring calamity. Iyong mga pinatawag, hindi po validated na dumaan sa process,” the governor noted as he emphasized that Comelec directed pausing all cash assistance except for emergencies.
[Translation: To be clear. There were no fires nor floods, in short, no calamities. Those who went for the cash aid were not validated and did not pass due process.]
Kapalong town mayor uninformed in the 'Davao ayuda scam'
In the same briefing, Kapalong Mayor Ma. Theresa Timbol said she was not informed about the distribution and that she did not choose the alleged beneficiaries that were present in the payout.
“They said that the leader of the barangay officials listed them in their barangay to go there,” she said.
“Sabi nila [They said], there were almost 100 that were paid out already with the amount of ₱2,000…But the payout was made on October 28, which was two days away from the barangay election po,” she added.
Meanwhile, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who presided over the committee; and Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, who was also present, expressed their dismay at the “possible corruption” and the alleged vote buying.
