DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said 437 elected and appointed government officials along with their civilian cohorts have been criminally charged over their alleged involvement in anomalies related to the distribution of the first tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP) cash subsidy.
Año said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is still conducting investigation and case build-up against 626 more officials and their civilian co-conspirators over the same grounds.
Año said 203 of those charged are elected public officials, including a municipal mayor, city/municipal councilors, barangay captains, barangay councilors, SK chairmen and SK councilors.
Also charged were 102 barangay and city personnel, including barangay secretaries, barangay treasurers, barangay health workers, homeowners association officers, sitio leaders, city/municipal social welfare and development officer, SAP enumerators and day care teachers while the remaining 132 were civilian co-conspirators.
Cases filed were violations of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 11469 or Bayanihan Act; and RA 11332 or Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases, among others.
Earlier, the DILG recommended the preventive suspension of 50 barangay chairpersons for allegedly committing malversation, corruption, estafa and graft-related activities during the distribution of SAP. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/VoxPop Philippines)