President Rodrigo Duterte warned the Local Government Units (LGUs) not to attempt to corrupt the help going to be sent by the national government, including the funds for the ‘biggest social protection program’ in the country’s history.
According to him, public officials should not act like they own the money of the people and they must honestly distribute the help to their constituents.
“I will see to it even tomorrow, if I discover some embezzlements, some hoarding there, at dina-divert ‘yung pagkain sa mga tao na dapat hindi sa kanila, you better think. I am not a cruel man. Pero kung may report ang pulis, I will order your detention hanggang matapos itong COVID-19,” Duterte said in his televised address.
“Sabi ko huwag ngayon. Huwag na huwag kayong mandaya, mangurakot at taguin ‘yung mga pagkain at ‘yung iba hindi bigyan kasi… You know, people sometimes think that they own whatever they receive from government. This is not yours, neither is it mine,” he added.
The President then vowed to punish every public official that would attempt to use the money of the government for personal purposes.
“Pero kung mamulitika ka tapos mabalitaan ko na ‘yan ang nagawa mo, I will suspend you ora mismo. And for those who are really absconding the money, I will detain you, I said, and maybe I will release you pagkatapos ng COVID.”
Yesterday, President Duterte announced the 200-B social protection measures for the poor and called it the “largest and widest social protection program in the country’s history,”.
Under the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Law” low-income households should receive P5,000 to P8,000 monthly from the government for two months.