Mindanaotoday.com | 3 Oro execs may face charges over ‘ayuda’
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – After almost six months of investigation, the ad hoc committee of the 20th city council here, chaired by lawyer James Judith II, has finished the committee report pertaining to the reinvestigation of the special enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) “ayuda” (assistance) in this city.
Judith did not disclose the entire findings in the committee report but he said there were three officials who may face charges, if the public would want to, due to the alleged discrepancies in the said cash assistance program.
The names were also not disclosed as well as they are either current or former city officials as Judith still needs to wait for a go signal after submitting the said report to Mayor Rolando Uy and Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez on Thursday, Feb. 16.
“Kung i-release ni Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy, mu-esplikar ko. Basta didto tulo akong natumbok nga kinahanglan pasakaan gyud og kaso kung naa lang gyud tay political will,” Judith said in an interview on Monday, February 20.
(If Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy would release [the investigation result], I will explain it. I pointed out three [officials] that need to face the charges if we have the political will)
The reinvestigation aims to address the confusion from the first investigation in 2021 due to the problems encountered in the implementation and address the concerns by some residents here who did not receive the cash aid.
It can be recalled that the city government received a check for P767,824,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the said special “ayuda” on Aug. 4, 2021.
During the first committee meeting of the said agenda on Sept. 13 last year, Judith said he wanted to reinvestigate the special ECQ ayuda after former city Councilor Eric Salcedo claimed that the previous city council has yet to resolve the issue in the assistance.
Judith said he got the copy of the list of payouts during the distribution of the special ‘ECQ’ ayuda in this city from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
After examining the list, the said councilor believed that there were discrepancies as there were almost similar beneficiaries’ names, he said, with one letter difference from different barangays in the city.
“Imposible kaayo nga pareha ra inyong particulars didto lang mo maglahi nga makadawat ka in the same barangay. Dili na nimo ma attribute nga statistical error,” Judith said.
(It’s so impossible that you have the same particulars with little differences and received [the assistance] in the same barangays. You can’t attribute that as statistical error)
“Granting it’s a statistical error, but one or two barangays maybe. But all through the rest barangays, same thing,” he added.
Apart from that, Judith also said that he has attached affidavits of some beneficiaries who did not receive the cash aid despite being tagged as received with their signatures.
BenCyrus Ellorin from the communications group of the City Mayor’s Office confirmed that the said committee report was received by Uy and it is now under review with the City Legal Office.
Judith said once the local chief executive released the result, he will call on the public to find individuals who have the courage to file the case against the three persons involved. (MT)
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