Over 400 LGU officials face criminal raps over SAP distribution

August 23, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday said 437 local elected and appointed public officials and their civilian co-conspirators are now facing criminal charges while 626 more are under probe by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for alleged anomalies in the pay-outs of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

Año said of the 437 cases filed before the various Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Justice, 203 were elected public officials, including a Municipal Mayor, City/Municipal Councilors, Barangay Captains, Barangay Kagawads, SK Chairman and SK Councilors.

Another 102 are barangay and city personnel, including Barangay Secretaries, Barangay Treasurers, Barangay Health Workers, Homeowners Association Officers, Purok Leaders, City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer, SAP Enumerators and Day Care Teachers while the remaining 132 were civilian co-conspirators.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against 50 barangay officials from among those currently being investigated with a prayer for their immediate preventive suspension.

The DILG chief added that majority of the complaints filed were for alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; Bayanihan Act; and Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, among others.

“While the second part of SAP distribution is ongoing, we are also in full swing in filing of cases against corrupt officials and their cohorts,” Año said.

He said what these corrupt officials are doing is very disappointing as the assistance is for the people who are very much affected by the pandemic.

The secretary also lauded the efforts of the PNP-CIDG for vigorously investigating 336 SAP related-cases across the country.

Of the 336 cases, 240 were already filed with the Prosecutor's Office, three were for case filing, six were endorsed to other agencies, 46 were under investigation or case build-up, and 41 were dismissed for lack of probable cause or insufficient evidence.

On a regional level, 50 cases were filed in Soccsksargen, 40 cases in Western Visayas, 33 cases in Central Visayas, 30 cases in Calabarzon, 26 cases in Eastern Visayas, 24 cases in Davao Region , and 21 cases in National Capital Region (NCR).

There were also 16 cases in Region Bicol Region, 14 cases in Mimaropa; 15 cases in Ilocos Region, 14 cases in Cagayan Valley, 12 cases in Northern Mindanao; 12 cases in CARAGA, 10 in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); and two in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Año acknowledged that a huge part of the success in going after these public officials are the members of the public who bravely filed complaints with the nearest PNP stations.

He is confident that there will be lesser complaints on anomalies now that the second tranche of the SAP is distributed mostly through electronic means. Ella Dionisio/DMS