Depoliticizing aid

If President Marcos wants to be spared from the public opprobrium arising from his token veto of the election budget passed by his congressional allies, there are certain things that he can do to dispel suspicions that he is complicit in the thievery of people’s money.

One is to defer at least until after the elections the release of funding for the items inserted during the bicameral conference that were not in the National Expenditure Program or NEP submitted by the Department of Budget and Management.

The DBM recently issued the budget call for the NEP for 2026. Executive agencies work on their respective budget proposals almost from the start of every fiscal year. The executive should demand some respect from Congress for the effort that went into the budget planning of the national government. Congress’ power of the purse is not tantamount to authority to mangle the budget, especially if the mangling mainly serves lawmakers’ personal purposes.

Another thing that BBM can do is to show that his push for e-governance is genuine, by ordering the shift ASAP of all ayuda payouts from in-person handouts to ATMs or e-wallets, and eliminating middlemen in applying for cash aid.

A presidential executive order should suffice for this shift, which would also promote the government’s avowed push for all Filipinos to have bank accounts no matter how small the deposit.

Applications for ayuda can be done through a simple digital platform, or if in-person application is needed, only through personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The DSWD must keep the application procedure as simple and efficient as possible, because those who are forced to resort to state dole-outs are typically the neediest Filipinos, who may lack the knowhow and time for complicated processes.

ATMs are already used for the cash payouts for the poorest of the poor who are covered by the conditional cash transfer, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

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Depoliticizing aid was one of the objectives when the World Bank signed on to be the largest financial backer of the Philippine government in launching the 4Ps, which was inspired by the conditional cash transfer called Bolsa Familia program in Brazil.

World Bank officials at the time told me they would pull out of the 4Ps if politicians became involved in the selection of beneficiaries or the cash payouts.

Years later, there were reports that some barangay officials working for local politicians took credit for selecting 4Ps beneficiaries, warning that the beneficiaries would be delisted if they did not support the politicians during elections.

The DSWD has maintained that only its personnel select 4Ps beneficiaries, and are authorized to hand out cash and other forms of ayuda under its various aid programs. Photos and video of such payout events, however, almost always feature politicians claiming personal credit for the aid.

Last Wednesday, the Commission on Elections approved a request of the DSWD to exempt from the social services ban, which starts during the election period beginning Jan. 12, the ayuda programs of the department. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the “absolute ban” will be reimposed 10 days before election day.

The exemptions include not only the 4Ps but also the controversial unconditional aid programs Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).

The bicam had inserted the AKAP in this year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA), with Sen. Grace Poe disclosing that P21 billion would be allocated to congressmen and P5 billion to senators.

BBM, who allegedly reviewed the congressional budget insertions, did not veto the allocation for AKAP, which is a pet project of his favorite cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez.

AICS is a line item in this year’s GAA. The unconditional aid program includes the Malasakit health centers, and has been around longer than AKAP, which was introduced only last year.

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The Comelec exemption stipulates that politicians cannot be involved in the ayuda distribution. Garcia told “Storycon” on One News yesterday that even materials featuring the images and names of politicians in connection with the aid distribution could be covered.

If a violation is reported and verified, Garcia said the Comelec would withdraw the exemption covering a particular area. Politicians found violating the ban and taking credit for the aid can face disqualification for “abuse of state resources,” Garcia said. This falls under the “prohibited acts” or Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.

He said DSWD personnel who willfully allow politicians to violate the Comelec prohibition could also face administrative cases. Garcia has asked Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to have a Comelec representative present at all ayuda distribution events during the election period.

Garcia is aware of how adept Pinoy politicians can be in circumventing the rules. He said the Comelec is awaiting DSWD guidelines on the prohibition covering politicians.

The Comelec and DSWD may consider displaying prominently at ayuda distribution sites instructions to their personnel, and encouragement to the public, to record violations by politicians and to post these online.

Apart from the physical presence of politicians, the ban should also cover the display anywhere near the aid distribution venue of streamers and other materials featuring politicians, regardless of the message.

The Comelec can go one step further and ban the display anywhere in the country of materials in which a politician claims personal credit for any DSWD-administered ayuda program. The Comelec can do this during the election period, which is covered by the DSWD request.

If politicians won’t willingly keep their hands off (and distance from) tax-funded ayuda programs, they can be compelled to do so. And they should be punished for ignoring the rules.