WE ARE calling out the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)!
Why are the payouts of “ayudas” from the national government such as the AKAP not done on a per barangay basis? Who decides where and when?
Actually, doing the payout for beneficiaries in certain barangays in a “chosen site” even if the area is within the same district, is highly unfair for beneficiaries coming from other barangays. Imagine how cumbersome and expensive was one of the latest payouts done in a barangay going south and among those lucky beneficiaries came from other barangays in areas going to Bukidnon?
The recipients of the “ayuda” had to go to that Southern Davao City barangay very early in the morning hoping they could receive the “ayuda” earlier than the others. Those who took public transportation to go there had to take double, even triple rides. Some had to rent vehicles like multi-cabs just to get to the payout area that is out of the main route of public vehicles except for tricycles. And in renting vehicles they have to shoulder the expenses for fuel.
And woe to the more senior among senior citizen beneficiaries and persons with disabilities. While they were supposed to be given special privileges like being served ahead, most often they experienced not being given the opportunity.
Also, with the convergence of the many qualified “ayuda” recipients and the strict verification processes the release of the cash assistance all the more became delayed. Thus, it was not anymore surprising to hear some older beneficiaries collapsing while waiting for their turn.
Why cannot the DSWD find ways to have the payouts done on a per barangay basis, or simultaneously among barangays closely clustered so those who are entitled will not be bothered with long hours of waiting for their turn and of spending a sizeable sum from the amount of “ayuda” they received for transportation, snacks and food expenses in the event that their turn will not come early as expected.
Frankly, we found it more anti-poor and disadvantageous to the marginalized beneficiaries to be spending more just to avail of the “ayuda,” at times suffering from hunger due to late lunch or lack of snacks due to a long time of waiting.
Such undue experience has become some kind of “flagellation” to the already impoverished Filipinos.
Then we heard reports of scheming small businessmen taking advantage of the sudden mana from the government. These “scammers,” err schemers, sell their merchandise to the sudden beneficiaries who are vulnerable to their wily marketing strategies and are quick to do their thing to the hapless “ayuda” recipients.
Some merchandise offered supposedly with a largely discounted cost like medicinal ointment were offered to senior citizen “ayuda” beneficiaries. The more enterprising offers to recipients of cash “ayudas” food items, a part of which is to be given to the ones who caused the recipients’ inclusion in the list of beneficiaries.
What a way of taking advantage of the marginalized sector of Philippine society.
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Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, while resorting to other legal means to stop her impeachment trial like petitioning the Supreme Court for the purpose, is not showing any sign of complacency.
And why are we saying this? Well, just imagine the line-up of legal luminaries who she had prepared to defend her if the trial will not be prevented by the SC. The VP’s legal team is composed of her own father former President Rodrigo Duterte who was once a prosecutor before he joined politics; her father-in-law Atty. Lucas Carpio; lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, among others.
In other words, VP Sara, while personally convinced of the weakness of the impeachment case against her, is not about to give the prosecution even an inch of a chance to oust her.
For our part, we too, believe that the members of the team of prosecutors from the House of Representatives still lack experience in prosecution skills. Thus, we have this notion that ranged against the big-named lawyers who’ll be defending the VP, chances are she will get out of such a predicament with ease.
Of course, she has to reckon with the fact that impeachment is a political process and those senators who will be sitting as justices will likely have a decision influenced by their affiliation and relationships to political leaders with interest in the impeachment case.
Will the Vice President escape her impeachment unscathed? “Let us to see,” according to the late Davaoeno senator Landring Almendras.
