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Palace to LGUs: Distribute first tranche of cash by April 30 or face charges


Local government officials who will fail to completely distribute the first tranche of the emergency subsidy program for low-income households by April 30 may face charges, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque issued the warning amid allegations of slow distribution of the cash aid which was intended to support poor families and informal sector workers greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Magkakaroon po ng show cause order kung bakit hindi sila dapat panagutin administratively and criminally. They may be held liable for dereliction of duty, which is a form of graft,” Roque said in a televised briefing.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año directed local government units on Monday to expedite the distribution of the cash aid after he received reports that some low-income families have not yet received the financial assistance ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 despite having filled up the social amelioration forms.

According to President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth weekly report to Congress submitted on Monday, over P96.85 billion out of the P100 billion allotted for the first wave of the social amelioration program had been disbursed.

However, only P31.12 billion has been distributed to 6.26 million families—a third of the 18 million target beneficiaries—more than a month after the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and other areas of the country.

Año said the government is already preparing for the distribution of the second wave of financial assistance with focus on areas still under enhanced community quarantine and those who were supposedly left out during the first wave. -NB, GMA News

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