Suits Loom Vs Those Who Duped The DSWD

NO WARNING, SAP RECIPIENTS SHOULD RETURN SUM ASAP

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

M’LANG, Cotabato – A criminal case will be filed without any warning against those who fooled the government by receiving the amount from the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare & Development.

According to this first class town mayor Russel M. Abonado and municipal treasurer Gail Vergara - Untal recipients who were not qualified would be sued with criminal case.

Untal said there will be criminal consequences for those economically well-off individuals who deceived the government by accepting the P5,000 financial aid.

“The regional office of the DSWD will be filing a case against those disqualified who did not return the money,” she stressed.

HONEST. Emergency cash recipient Francisco Rico, Jr. of Barangay Dugong, M'lang in Cotabato Province returns to the town treasurer Gail Vergara-Untal the P5,000. 00 he received from the Department of Social Welfare & Development. The first class town mayor Russel Abonado (center) watches with pride the honesty of his constituent.

Abonado, a lawyer, exhorted the recipients to return the sum as dictated by their conscinece because they are not qualified.

“Well my guideline kasi ang DSWD it is not within the municipality to accept the guidelines. Ang sa atin we have to abide with the guidelines by the DWSD.

Businessman Francisco Rico, Jr. sought the advice of this writer upon learning that his name had been marked for probable investigation and suit by the regional personnel of the DSWD.

Rico received P5,000 despite owning a retail store and has a buying and selling station of palay in the village.

“Kasi po meron naman akong pera may hanapbuhay naman,” he said in Fiipino.

This writer told him that the amount is minuscule compared to the tens of thousands of pesos he will be paying for his bail bond in case he will be sued with Swindling (Estafa) and other criminal cases, acceptance fee for the lawyer to handle the case, lawyer’s per appearance fee during the once a month hearing of the case filed by the government against him.

 

DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista previously said that if his office validated that recipients are not eligible, they have to return the money, but it did mean they are absolved of any criminal liabilities. They may be charged for what they've done.

Meanwhile, Untal said the P81,000,745 given by the national government to this first class town, 16, 349 household- beneficiaries received them.

“We thought the treasury has no role to play with the distribution but the money was deposited to us and we released it to the beneficiaries where the DSWD distributed the SAP in the villages of the town,” she said.