Local government units (LGUs) that failed to provide assistance to their constituents within two days after a natural calamity shall face grave dereliction of duty and misconduct, which are both serious offenses for administrative cases, according to the Anti Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

ARTA Director General Jeremiah G. Belgica said such LGU officials shall face cases before the Office of the Ombudsman, which would merit immediate preventive suspension.

Belgica has already discussed with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to speed up the release of cash and food assistance to the marginalized and poor communities following the President’s directive to simplify the process of giving out of assistance.

During their initial meeting, ARTA, DILG, and DSWD discussed the concerns and issues on the current process of distributing food and cash assistance to communities. In the coming days, the agencies will further coordinate on expediting the process of granting the assistance to requesting local government units especially now that consecutive weather disturbances have affected various areas in the country on top of the ongoing pandemic.

The ARTA chief recommended that DSWD Regional or Field Offices, being at ground zero of the disaster-stricken area, should already monitor if sufficient food and cash assistance has been distributed by the local government officials concerned.

“If none has been extended by the LGU officials within two days, the DSWD Regional or Field Office shall automatically send a report to the Central Office to send food and cash assistance to the disaster-hit area. Likewise, the LGU officials concerned shall be subject to investigation and there will be a presumption of serious neglect of duty and grave misconduct which are both serious offenses for administrative cases to be filed with the Office of Ombudsman and which would merit immediate preventive suspension,” said Belgica.

Belgica stressed that, “In times of calamities, a wait-and-see method is already a thing of the past. Reports and assessment of the situation at ground zero are easily verifiable with different available technologies.”

He urged government disaster relief officials to be more pro-active in times when “our kababayans need the government the most” stressing that in times of natural disaster, “every minute counts.”

“We acknowledge the efforts of DSWD and DILG in their commitment to deliver fast government service to our people and we just need to make sure that our local government officials will strictly follow the Presidential directive on immediate delivery of assistance to our fellowmen,” he said.

Belgica said that DSWD Usec. Felicisimo C. Budiongan informed the group that the national agency’s role in relief operations shall be upon receipt of request from the local chief executive of a request for augmentation and if the affected families are more than 30.

According to Belgica, the DSWD reported during their meeting that there has been no pending request on their part from LGUs for relief assistance.