A resolution that would teach politicians a lesson to never, ever use government funds for political purposes has been introduced at the House of Representatives.
The resolution, authored by Manila’s District 2 Representative Rolando Valeriano, urges the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the use of public funds for the election campaign and vote-buying of certain candidates for various positions in the city of Manila during the recently-concluded May 2022 elections. It was unanimously adopted by the other Manila Congressmen –Ernix Dionisio (District 1); Joel Chua (3rd district); Edward Maceda (4th district); Irwin Tieng (fifth district) and Bienvenido Abante (6th district).
The funds being referred to are the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Supposedly, the AICS serves as social safety net or a stop-gap mechanism to support the recovery of individuals and families from unexpected crisis such as illness or death of a family member, natural and man-made disasters and other crisis situations, grants cash assistance for medical, burial, transportation, educational and other monetary assistance, with the pertinent Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office, in this case the DSWD-NCR-Manila Field Office, which does the scheduling and conduct of payout events or distribution of the cash assistance to beneficiaries.
On the other hand, the TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, with the pertinent Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Field Office, in this case the DOLE-NCR-Manila Field Office, which schedules the orientation seminars to beneficiaries, before they work and granted their salaries.
Valeriano notes with disgust that during the campaign period for the May 2022 polls, “then Manila mayoralty candidate Alexander Tantoco Lopez, with his entire team, were reported to arrive during, before or after, DSWD-AICS payouts or DOLE-TUPAD Orientation seminars.”
“These payout events or orientation seminars turned out to be campaign rallies for Lopez’s ticket, including his vice mayoralty, congressional and councilor candidates, none of whom were incumbent public officials and without any right or reason, to be present in such official events,” the resolution stated.
The Congressman also noted that during, before or after the cash assistance were distributed, the beneficiaries were made audience, while all the said candidates were given time to deliver their speeches and campaign for election in the positions they were seeking at that time.
Clearly, such actions were a form of vote-buying, as money was given directly to induce the beneficiaries, to vote for said candidates or against their opponents and Valeriano backed up his claims with voluminous proofs.
Obviously too, he is well within logic in alleging that certain DSWD and DOLE officials and employes conspired to commit the vote-buying and with the use of public funds at that, for the said partisan political activities.
While the matter was brought to its attention, the Commission of Elections (Comelec), according to Valeriano, “failed to accordingly act on it, but allowed it to persist during the said election campaign period.”
Owing to these unfortunate developments, Valeriano saw the need for the House of Representatives, through the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, to investigate the issue and to craft legislation to address and prevent this kind of thing from recurring.
Indeed, this issue needs to be thoroughly investigated and acted upon swiftly.
Government funds must be insulated from politics at all times. If this goes unchecked, it might become a habit, knowing how unscrupulous certain politicians and government people are in this country.
Joke (from Teresita Gallardo of Paranaque City)
Teacher: Class, gayahin niyo ang mga langgam. Lagi nagsusumikap at hindi naglalakwatsa.
Pedro: Mam! Kalokohan yan! Nandun kami kanina sa Luneta, nandun din sila!
DIRECT HIT entertains comments, suggestions or complaints. Please have them emailed to [email protected] or text 0917-3132168.
Para sa reaksyon o komento at tanong mag-email sa [email protected]
