Senators question P26.7-billion aid linked to people's initiative

Senators on Tuesday raised questions about the P26.7-billion Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP, a new assistance program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which one of them linked to the people's initiative (PI) campaign for Charter change.

Senators said they were both surprised and curious about the funding and nature of the program, which a senior official of the DSWD said was "foreign" to the agency.

This developed as Senator Imee Marcos asked the DSWD to explain the AKAP program during the continuation of the Senate electoral reforms and people's participation committee's investigation into the alleged bribery and payoffs related to the recent Cha-cha efforts through PI.

"Nagulat din ako sa AKAP at mas lalo akong nagulat sa halaga, P26.7 billion, isang programa na ngayon ko lang natuklasan at ngayon lang narinig," said Marcos, who chairs the Senate panel.

(I was surprised with AKAP, and especially its P26.7-billion, a program which I have just recently heard about and discovered.)

Marcos claimed learning about AKAP through an SMS message. She said, "Pero may bilin dito sa text (But there is a note in the text), 'All soft projects including AKAP must go through the Office of the Speaker. AKAP, AICS, TUPAD, MAIP for the PI and other efforts.'"

Sought for clarification, Marcos told GMA News Online that she received the SMS from a congressman.

GMA News Online has requested comment from House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who has denied spearheading the PI initiative.

Senator JV Ejercito also said that he is curious about the program as the Senate has no idea about it.

'Foreign' project

DSWD Undersecretary for Legislative affairs Fatima Aliah Dimaporo said the AKAP "is just as foreign" to the DSWD.

According to the DSWD official, AKAP is not part of the original budget proposal for 2024 from Malacañang.

Marcos, who sponsored the 2024 budget of the department, recalled that like the additional P12 billion in the budget of Commission on Elections, the P26.7 billion is also "alien" to her.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa then asked where the budget came from.

"If DSWD declares that this is foreign to them, saan nanggaling itong budget niyo? Baliktad na pala ang budgeting process natin? Ang Kongreso na magde-decide kung anong project i-implement ninyo? Hindi pala kayo ang nagre-request sa Congress na project na popondohan, program na popondohan? Baligtad eh," Dela Rosa quipped.

(If DSWD declares that this is foreign to them, where did your budget come from? Has our budgeting process been reversed? Congress decides which project DSWD will implement? So you didn't request Congress to provide funding for your project or program? It's the other way around.)

Dimaporo said AKAP is not an "exclusive project" for Congress, but "it is technically foreign in the sense that it has no guidelines yet."

"So it does not exist as a program," she added.

This did not sit well with Marcos.

"Do we allot sums of money, enormous sums of money such as this almost P27 billion for a project or a program that is undefined, unnamed, unfamiliar with no guidelines whatsoever with no target beneficiaries, and is just left open? Is this the usual practice in the DSWD?" Marcos said.

No guidelines yet

Dimaporo, for her part, said that it is not a usual practice in their department and its officials "do not create magical projects" as this was part of the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Marcos then cited a news report which indicated that the AKAP was intended to provide P5,000 to 12 million poor households.

The DSWD official said she was aware of a press release that stated this, but she cannot confirm the figures because the guidelines for its implementation are yet to be issued.

Marcos then urged Dimaporo to cooperate with them and stop defending AKAP if she is really not aware about the origin of the program.

Dela Rosa seconded Marcos' call and told Dimaporo that she is not being grilled over this. He said that they are surprised about the AKAP.

"Ang amin lang nagulat lang kami sa Senado, AKAP, 'di namin nakita 'yan. Kahit ilang araw po mo pag-aralan ang [National Expenditures Program] at [General Appropriations Bill], hindi mo talaga nakita 'yan. Nagulat na lang kami na may ganyan. Ikaw nga din," Dela Rosa said.

(We in the Senate are just surprised with AKAP. We didn't see that. Even if you study the National Expenditures Program and the General Appropriations Bill for days, you won't see that AKAP program. We were surprised. You were, too.)

Lodged under DSWD

Ejercito butted in and mentioned a statement from House appropriations 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."

"Ang bongga ng unprogrammed. Naka-detalye na P5 [thousand] per family," Marcos remarked.

GMA News Online asked Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, if the House of Representatives initiated the inclusion of the AKAP in the unprogrammed funds under the 2024 budget, and if he was informed of this during the Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations.

Angara replied: "House program 'yan (It's a program of the House).

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 was introduced during the bicameral conference committee for the then-2024 budget bill.

Best intentions

For his part, Co denied that AKAP funding would be directed towards a signature campaign for Charter change.

In a statement, 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.

"Dinudungisan po ni Senador Imee Marcos ang malinis na intensyon ng AKAP na tulungan ang mga kababayan nating may trabaho ngunit kapos ang kita. Taumbayan na po ang bahalang humusga sa kanyang pamumulitika sa isang programang pantulong sa mahirap," Co said.

(Senator Imee Marcos is besmirching the good intention of AKAP, which seeks to help our countrymen who have jobs but are not earning enough. Our people will judge how she is politicizing a program meant to help the poor.)

Co assured that the AKAP funds will be distributed strictly in accordance with the provisions in the 2024 budget. — with a report from Llanesca T. Panti/ VDV/ NB, GMA Integrated News