DSWD's Gatchalian defends AKAP amid alleged link to people's initiative

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday defended the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) after Senator Imee Marcos linked the new social aid program to the controversial people's initiative.

In a statement, Gatchalian said that "not a single centavo" of the budget for AKAP under the 2024 national budget has been spent as the DSWD "is still crafting the guidelines to ensure the program’s smooth and efficient fulfillment of the agency's mandate."

While there is no mention if the program was actually requested by the agency, Gatchalian said the budget for AKAP under the 2024 national budget was a "welcome news" to the DSWD  “because  we were already contemplating on such program."

He said that the legislative branch has the power of the purse and “we respect their wisdom in crafting the national budget.”

“The GAA (General Appropriations Act) enjoys presumption of regularity because  it went through tough scrutiny of the legislative branch. We will be remiss in our duties if we do not implement what is in the budget,” he added.

The DSWD chief also explained that the program was designed for those who belong to the "near poor" segment of the society to prevent them from being reclassified as below the poverty line.

“This segment in our society feels excluded from our DSWD programs. An economic shock such as runaway inflation can easily send the ‘near poor’ back to poverty,”  Gatchalian explained.

Apart from minimum wage earners, the DSWD chief said that households who have exited the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are also part of the “near poor” category.

He mentioned a meeting with Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa, chair of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) secretariat, where they reportedly discussed programs that will provide a safety net for those classified as "near poor," as they acknowledged the "vicious cycle" of minimum wage earners and 4Ps graduates going back to poverty.

"Sayang if they slip back into poverty because we have made investments to pull them out of poverty like 4Ps. Years of human capital investment will go to waste if they fall back and start all over again," he said.

Senate wary of AKAP

On Tuesday, several senators raised questions about the P26.7-billion AKAP funds with Marcos linking it to the people's initiative for Charter change.

Senator JV Ejercito cited a statement from House appropriations committee chairman Elizaldy Co,saying that there is P60 billion for the AKAP program under the 2024 national budget and P26.7 billion of which had already been lodged under the DSWD.

After mentioning this, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros noted that the funds "appeared to be from unprogrammed funds."

Congressman denies AKAP and Cha-cha connection

In December last year, Romualdez said the 2024 budget has earmarked P26.7 billion for expansion of government subsidies to near poor households. The program was dubbed as Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP, which intends to cover 12 million households.

House leaders issued the statement after Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III questioned the P450 billion in unprogrammed funds that were introduced during the bicameral conference committee for the then-2024 budget bill.

In a statement, Co denied  that AKAP funding would be directed towards a signature campaign for Charter change.

Co said AKAP would help ensure that Filipinos not covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would receive assistance from the government. As outlined in the 2024 budget, Co said, the program allots P50 billion for direct support to families earning less than P23,000 monthly.

Marcos seeks new probe

In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Marcos said she will seek a probe on AKAP which will be separate from the Senate committee on electoral reforms investigation into the alleged payoffs in the people's initiative efforts where the issue was first brought up.

"Yes, hiwalay na kasi talagang lihis na siya dun sa paksa ng PI," Marcos told reporters when asked if she will seek an investigation on AKAP.

Prior to this, Marcos said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum that she will invite Gatchalian in the Senate investigation on people's initiative to shed light on the alleged use of AKAP in Cha-cha efforts.

"I think because of this alien, foreign project AKAP, we'll have to call Secretary Gatchalian. Kailangan ipaliwanag kung ano ito and the DBM secretary perhaps," she said during the forum.

"Kailangan siguro pag-usapan baka naman mabigyan na tayo  ng linaw ni Secretary Gatchalian pero ang pagka-alam ko talagang hindi alam ng DSWD. Kailanman hindi lumabas sa anumang subcommittee plenary o iba pang debate," she said.

Marcos, who sponsored the 2024 budget of the DSWD in the Senate, reiterated that the AKAP program was not in the original proposal of the agency and criticized the lack of transparency in the changes to the budget bill during the bicameral conference committee meetings.

"I have no clue," Marcos said when asked why it was included in the final version of the budget bill.

"May respeto naman tayo sa Kongreso. May bicam kami pero nauuwi sa picture taking. Yung diskusyong nauuwi sa committee na maliliit. Nagulat na lang ako bakit lumabas yan sa GAA 2024. Mismo sa kumite ko na Comelec at DSWD nalusutan," she said.

Marcos was shown a document showing that she signed the budget for the said program. But the senator said she will look into it because they are only attaching their e-signatures on the final version of the budget.

The small committee during the bicameral conference meeting was composed of Co and Senator Sonny Angara.

For his part, Angara said that AKAP is an amendment introduced by the House of Representatives.

"Obviously, when it was proposed wala namang nakalagay na it will be used for PI," Angara said in a text message to reporters.—RF, GMA Integrated News