Laguna Gov: Envelopes of cash after Sara event allowances for barangay workers

STA. CRUZ, Laguna — Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez said Thursday that envelopes of cash seen being distributed after an event here with vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte were allowances for barangay health workers and other volunteers.

Duterte visited the Laguna Sports Complex for a meet and greet with barangay workers and other volunteers. Hernandez insisted that what happened was just a regular distribution of allowances.

"For many years may regular allowance po from the provincial gov't ang mga BNS [Barangay Nutrition Scholars], BHW [Barangay Health Workers], DCW [Daycare Workers], etc. Today ang bigayan ng allowance nila kaya sila natipon doon sa Sports Complex," Hernandez said in a text message.

(For many years, barangay nutrition scholars, barangay health workers and daycare workers have regular allowance coming from the provincial government. Today is the distribution of their allowance, that's why they were at the Sports Complex.)

He added that the distribution of allowance took place after Duterte had left.

"Hindi isinabay ang bigayan ng allowance sa pagpunta ni Mayor Sara. Allowance distribution talaga today at isinabay ni Mayor Sara ang pagbisita. HINDI PO SORTIE NA MAY BIGAYAN NG PERA 'YON. At nakaalis na si Mayor Sara noong namigay. Sad to say, malicious lang po 'yong iba," he added.

(Today is the day of the distribution and it was not a sortie with distribution of cash. Mayor Sara already left when the allowances were distributed. Sad to say, the others were just malicious.)

Asked why the provincial government did not cancel the distribution, Hernandez said it was already scheduled and it would be a waste of time if the workers and volunteers were asked to go back another day to get their allowance.

"Kung hindi ibibigay ang allowance today dahil dumating si Mayor Sara ay panibagong gastos na naman ng mga tao 'yon at abala kung papabalikin pa uli. Kaya pinaalis na muna si Mayor Sara noong ibigay," Hernandez said.

(If the allowance will not be distributed today, it's another expense and it would be a waste of time if the workers will be asked to go back. That's why we allow Mayor Sara to leave first before distributing the allowance.)

To recall, white envelopes containing P500 each were also given out outside the governor's residence in Nueva Ecija after a campaign rally of the BBM-Sara UniTeam.

Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio "Oyie" Umali said that the cash distribution was the local government's distribution of financial aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — BM, GMA News