DSWD chief Tulfo warns loan sharks accepting 4Ps cash cards

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo on Wednesday warned those individuals who are accepting pawned Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash cards, saying that they could be jailed.

In a television interview, Tulfo said some loan sharks are supposedly charging beneficiaries 20 to 40% of the entire cash assistance from the national government.

"I would like to take this opportunity to warn the loan sharks, 'yung mga tumatanggap. Bawal po ‘yan na tumanggap po kayo ng mga isasanla sa inyo na ika nga, 4Ps cash card,” Tulfo said in an ANC interview.

(I would like to take this opportunity to warn the loan sharks. Accepting those pawned 4Ps cash cards is not allowed.)

“Labag po sa batas ‘yan and they are charging like 20 to 40% doon sa kabuuan makukuha so nababawasan ng halos 40 percent ‘yung monthly assistance ng gobyerno sa kanila. You could end up in jail 'pag nahuli namin kayo, kayong mga loan shark,” he added.

(That's against the law and they are charging 20 to 40% of the entire cash assistance so the monthly aid of the beneficiary would be slashed by 40%. You could be jailed if we catch you doing this.)

Earlier, Tulfo said almost a million 4Ps beneficiaries would be removed from the list of recipients of the targeted social assistance. He added that the slots, which will be vacated, will be given to new beneficiaries as many applicants are on the waiting list.

Tulfo said around 15 million people are below the poverty line in the country. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News