NBI probe on TUPAD anomaly continues

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) continues its probe on the allegedly anomalous implementation of the government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers or TUPAD program in Quezon City.

The agent handling the case has yet to provide an update on the investigation, NBI deputy director and spokesman Ferdinand Lavin told The STAR yesterday.

The NBI’s anti-human trafficking division is handling the case. The unit took cognizance of the case because it involved the illegal recruitment of informal sector workers, according to Lavin.

The Department of Labor and Employment referred the case to the NBI after several Quezon City residents reported the alleged anomaly in the implementation of the TUPAD program for workers displaced by the pandemic.

The NBI probe coveres five barangays in Quezon City’s District 2.

The investigation stemmed from the residents’ complaints that they were shortchanged in the cash-for-work program.

NBI probers said they are also looking into the alleged involvement of public officials and other suspects who allegedly recruited the victims and pocketed the bulk of the payout.

The NBI probe was conducted before the Office of the Ombudsman launched its own fact-finding investigation into the scam.