Duterte takes away cash aid distribution duties from a ‘certain LGU’

Citing a lack of organization by a local government unit, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he has instructed the DILG and the DSWD to take over the job of distributing  cash aid to its constituents.

In his weekly public address, Duterte said the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development will be the ones to distribute the cash assistance in LGUs where officials are unable to distribute it in an orderly manner.

Duterte, however, did not name the LGU.

"Alam mo may isang siyudad ako dito na I ordered the [DILG] and itong DSWD na kayo na ang magbigay ng mga ayuda pati 'yong mga kung anong maitulong ng national government sa local government units na walang alam at hindi marunong mag-organize ng mga distribution," the president said.

[There's an LGU where I ordered the DILG and the DSWD to take over distributing the cash aid, and whatever else the national government gives out, from local government units that know nothing and do not know how to organize the distribution.]

"It only results in disorder so tinanggal ko muna 'yan sa kanila [LGUs] at ibinigay ko doon sa DILG pati and DSWD. Kayo na muna hanggang matuto sila," he added.

[It only results in disorder so I took it away from them and gave it to the DILG and the DSWD. You do it for now until they learn.]

"Wala talagang kaalam-alam itong mga mayor na 'to so tanggalan muna natin itong pamimigay, pagdi-distribute ng pera pati tulong ng gobyerno."

[These mayors don't know anything so let's take away the distribution of government cash aid from them.]

Later in the briefing, Duterte cited LGUs "[without] planning and preparation to prevent overcrowding and disorder during distribution," and said these include one local government in the National Capital Region whose mayor has a "disorganized mind."

"Hindi ko binigay sa kanila [I didn't give it to them]," he said. "There's only one in Metro Manila."

The DILG said the release of cash assistance to low-income households in the National Capital Region (NCR) affected by the enhanced community quarantine will begin on Wednesday, August 11.

Around 11 million NCR residents will benefit from the cash assistance, DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.

The cash aid will be P1,000 per individual or up to P4,000 maximum per household.

Metro Manila was placed under ECQ from August 6 to 20 in a bid to curb the transmission of the Delta coronavirus variant in the country. — BM, GMA News