A bill filed at the House of Representatives imposes stricter penalties, including jail term and perpetual disqualification, on local government officials who are “selective” in giving assistance to their constituents.
A group of legislators led by House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo filed the proposed “Act Penalizing Selective, Discretionary, and Discriminatory Acts in the Delivery of Cash, Livelihood, or Relief Assistance Programs of Local Government Units (LGUs).”
According to Tulfo, the measure prescribes a jail term of six months to one year along with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
“We always hear of the problem that public officials choose whom to give government aid to during calamity, but nothing happens to these complaints as we lack a law against this,” Tulfo told reporters in Filipino.
He said in his bill there are instances when local government officials select and prioritize the recipients of the assistance programs based on personal considerations.
“It is a trend in our country that the official only chooses who will be given aid because they are not supporters… Aid should not favor a certain color. Regardless of your party, whether red, green, yellow, pink, white, it does not matter,” Tulfo said.
The lawmaker said he believes that such an abhorrent practice is directly violative of the principles of accountability and transparency in government service.