An official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public that the agency will do the necessary investigation regarding another case of alleged aid deduction, this time in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Unang-una, napakalahaga na makuha natin talaga ang detalye ng insidente na ito, so we could make the necessary investigation. Pangalawa po, we treat this again as an isolated case dahil there’s only one complainant pertaining to the issue. Of course, we cannot generalize that this is happening in the entire region. But then again, of course, gaya ng nabanggit ko, gagawin po natin yung kaukulang imbestigasyon,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, said during a media interview on Friday (June 28).

(Firstly, it is important that we get the details of the incident… As I have said, we will do the corresponding investigation.)

According to the report, a supposed coordinator working for a local official allegedly deducted Php9,300 from the Php10,000 worth of financial assistance given to three beneficiaries of the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in Cagayan de Oro City.

Asst Secretary Dumlao said the agency, through its concerned Field Office in Northern Mindanao, will coordinate with the complainants and assist them in filing the necessary case against the alleged perpetrator.

“Gaya po ng naging aksyon ng DSWD doon sa insidente ng pag-wiwithhold ng cash assistance ng pregnant woman in Davao, we will do the same dito po sa isolated case na ito dito sa Northern Mindanao. We will assist the clients. We will make sure that the appropriate charges will be filed against the individual who is found to the withholding ng assistance,” the DSWD spokesperson said.

(Just like what we have done in the aid deduction incident in Davao, we will do the same in this isolated case in Northern Mindanao…. )

Asst. Secretary Dumlao also reiterated the agency’s warning against individuals planning to commit the criminal activity of deducting the grants received by its AICS beneficiaries.

“Huwag nyo na pong isipin yung pagwi-withhold ng cash assistance because the DSWD will certainly look into the matter and hindi po natin i-aallow that this incident will happen sa ating mga beneficiaries,” the DSWD spokesperson said.

(Do not ever attempt to withhold the cash assistance … we will never allow this to happen to our beneficiaries.)

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said  earlier that whoever is involved in aid deduction anomalies shall be given the harshest action. #