By Jeffrey Damicog
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is is poised to direct prosecutors to prioritize the cases filed against barangay officials who are allegedly involved in anomalies concerning the distribution of emergency subsidy under the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (Screenshot / RTVM / PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he himself will give the order after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said that charges have been filed against 23 barangay officials before the DOJ.
“I will direct our prosecutors to give priority attention to the preliminary investigation of these criminal complaints,” the DOJ chief told reporters.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano had announced that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already filed 12 criminal cases against 23 barangay officials.
He noted that the charges were filed following an investigation conducted by the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
Ano said that four more cases will be filed in the following days.
He said the PNP is currently conducting a case build-up against 110 barangay officials after 318 complaints of graft and corrupt practices were filed.
The DILG chief noted that most of the cases involved anomalies committed by punong barangays, barangay kagawads, barangay treasurers, barangay secretaries, barangay employees, purok leaders, and even social workers.