Charges Filed Against 5 Quezon City Barangay Officials For Allegedly Cutting SAP Cash Aid
QUEZON CITY BARANGAY OFFICIALS – Five (5) officials of a barangay in Q.C. are facing charges for allegedly cutting the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) cash aid.
Many people are suffering financially amid the coronavirus or COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines. Several non-essential businesses temporarily stopped their operation and no-work-no-pay employees lost their monthly income.
Drivers can’t also go to work in areas observing the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). High risk areas are currently under an ECQ to prevent the spread of the disease.
With regards to the areas considered as low and medium risk for coronavirus, as per the assessment of the National Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19, they were placed under a General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
Considering the financial struggle of a lot of people, the national government released cash aid to qualified individuals through the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). Its main target is the poorest of the poor.
However, despite that we are currently on a national crisis, there are still corruption allegations and issues surrounding the SAP cash aid. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, five (5) Quezon City barangay officials are facing charges for allegedly cutting the SAP cash aid.
The charges were filed by the Criminal Investigationand Detection Group (CIDG). According to Colonel Robert Domingo, they filed charges for violation of the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act, Grave Coercion, Bribery, and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices.
Based on the report, the said Quezon City barangay officials facing corruption allegations over the SAP cash aid include a chairwoman, Nenita Valdez, and barangay officials Jerome Taeza, Enrique Goco, and Jacklyn Bautista.
According to the investigation, a “share to 4” scheme was allegedly lodged by the said barangay officials. Instead of giving Php 8,000.00 to every resident qualified for SAP cash aid, they allegedly cut it to Php 2,000.00 for every four (4) residents.
Reportedly, those who will not agree with them were allegedly warned that they will not be given the SAP forms. The residents complained about such move.
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