Cleansing of social pension list in ARMM underway

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1028173
• Saturday, March 10, 2018 3:15 pm

By Edwin Fernandez (PNA)

COTABATO CITY -- The cleansing campaign against irregularities in the release of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) funds in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has been gaining headway, the region’s social welfare secretary announced Saturday.

Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary and concurrent Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-ARMM) secretary, said more than a hundred individuals from across the region have voluntarily surrendered their 4Ps identification cards.

“Fake cardholders have voluntarily turned in their cards following our massive campaign to put an end to irregularities in the conditional cash transfer program for indigent families in ARMM,” Alamia told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

She noted that village officials, teachers, civilians, and spouses of soldiers and policemen were among those who surrendered their IDs.

Alamia led the campaign to cleanse the list of the anti-poverty program’s beneficiaries since she assumed office as DSWD regional secretary.

She said charges are being readied against those involved in the irregularities who take a “cut” from cash grants intended for indigents in ARMM’s provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

A “cut” refers to the amount taken by those who have influence and control over the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards of indigents.

Meanwhile, Alamia said the reported corruption in the senior citizens’ benefits in ARMM is also being investigated, aside from the irregularities concerning the 4Ps payouts.

“DSWD-ARMM wishes to address the issue concerning the alleged irregularities in the disbursement of senior citizens’ benefits in the region,” she said.

She added that they are “currently gathering information about this report and it will be handled by our Grievance Redress System, which will allow us to alert concerned social workers in the barangay, municipality, city, and provincial levels”.

Alamia said the local government unit (LGU) Social Welfare Protection assemblies in the five ARMM provinces aims to ensure that the beneficiaries of the social pension get what is intended for them.

She said the “No Fraud” policy is being strictly implemented across all social welfare programs, and for members of the LGU, the security sector, and other partner agencies to show their commitment and support in monitoring fraudulent activities.

The DSWD-ARMM chief noted that since Mindanao is still under Martial Law, all DSWD-ARMM programs are being closely monitored by the military and police as they validate DSWD-ARMM programs’ list of beneficiaries.

Policemen and soldiers will be present during senior citizens’ benefits and 4Ps payouts to address anomalies, and to eventually investigate these incidents, which may lead to possible arrests.

“We are one with the Duterte administration’s intensified anti-corruption campaign,” she said.