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PNP probing 183 barangay execs due to alleged cash aid distribution irregularities, DILG says
By ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA News A total of 183 barangay officials are now being investigated by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) due to alleged anomalies in the distribution of cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) disclosed on Monday.
“Sa dami ng ating reklamong natanggap, 183 na ang iniimbestigahan ng ating kapulisan dahil may posibleng probable cause dito. Hindi titigil ang ating kapulisan sa pagdakip sa mga mandarambong na mga barangay official na siyang talagang virus ng lipunan," DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a press statement.
“These are the kinds of arrests na kating-kati gawin ng ating PNP dahil talagang gigil din sila sa mga corrupt local officials,” he added.
Año did not bare the identities of the accused barangay officials due to the ongoing probe.
He noted as early as the first week of May, authorities started the arrest of alleged corrupt officials, including Danilo Flores, a barangay councilor in Hagonoy, Bulacan who supposedly took up to P3,500 from the P6,500 cash aid distributed to each beneficiary in the barangay.
Due to the incident in Bulacan, President Rodrigo Duterte has offered a P30,000 reward for every person who could provide information on corrupt officials.
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For its part, the Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to validate the complaints filed against these more than 100 barangay officials to ensure that the reports against them have basis.
“Patuloy ang ating ginagawang validation dahil ayaw din naman natin mangyari na ang mga sumbong ay baka naman sanhi lamang ng kanilang hindi pagkakaunawaan, may galit lamang kay kapitan o kaya naman ay gawa lamang ng pulitika. So ayaw naman natinna madamay pa tayo diyan,” PNP spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac told Super Radyo dzBB.
Banac said if evidence would show that the barangay officials were really involved in anomalies, charges would be filed against them.
“Kapag mayroon talagang sapat na ebidensiya ay kaagad na nagsasampa tayo ng kaso,” he said.
The agency tasked the PNP-CIDG to conduct case buildup operations against alleged corrupt local officials. The DILG also requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe into the alleged irregularities.
Meanwhile, DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya encouraged the public to continue reporting corrupt activities of the local chiefs in their areas.
“Magandang simula na may 183 barangay officials na ang iniimbestigahan ng ating kapulisan. This only means that the people are participating and are aware of their responsibility in protecting their rights,” Malaya said.
“Huwag kayong matakot. Tulungan ninyo kami na usigin ang mga tiwaling lider ng mga barangay na ito. Kakampi ninyo ang Pangulong Duterte, ang DILG, at ang kapulisan dito,” he added. —AOL/RSJ, GMA News