Negros barangay capt., MSWD charged for SAP irregularities

May 8, 2020

The regional director of the Western Visayas police has ordered the filing of charges against a Negros Occidental village chief and a Municipal Social Welfare Development officer after finding evidence of irregularities in the distribution of Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

According to Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Barangay 8 in Isabela captain Maria Luz Leal Ferrer and MSWD officer Mae Fajardo were charged before the Provincial Prosecutors Office in Bacolod City for Anti- Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code for “Falsification of document by a public officer”.

Fajardo was charged with falsification after she allegedly falsified  the official list of SAP beneficiaries.

Pamuspusan said the investigation stemmed after they received a text message from a concerned citizen for the alleged irregularities committed by the local government officials.

“According to the text complaint of the concerned citizen Ferrer allegedly released funds to his grandchild who is a 13 year old teen and to his niece who is supposed to be disqualified for being  well off  and being a business owner. The complainant also alleged that the barangay executive has bias in selecting the beneficiaries in his locality,” he said.

After an investigation by the  local police on the list of beneficiaries  and on   testimonies of credible witnesses, a probable cause was established that there was  irregularity on the part of Ferrer and Fajardo.

Aside from the two, also charged for violation of Article 172 or Falsification of public document by a private individual” are Wizza Leal and Emmanuel Orsolon.

Following the order of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa, Pamuspusan ordered all provincial and city directors in Western Visayas to establish hotlines and complaint centers to answer complaints about irregularities in the distribution of SAP.

“In this time of pandemic, corruption has no place in Western Visayas,” Pamuspusan said. Ella Dionisio/DMS