Recipients of the national government’s cash assistance program in Metro Manila and four adjacent provinces (NCR Plus) are not compelled to sign waivers that will free concerned local officials from any possible complaints, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) stressed Friday, April 16.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya made the remark after local government officials in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan drew flak for allegedly requiring residents to sign waivers that will prove they have no complaints in the distribution of "ayuda", even if some of the recipients allegedly received insufficient aid.
"Wala pong ibang lugar na nag-require ng waiver diumano (There are no other place that allegedly required a waiver)," Malaya said in a virtual "Laging Handa" press briefing.
He noted that DILG guidelines on the aid distribution does not require the issuance of a waiver.
"Kinu-confirm po muna namin ang report na 'to, kung totoo nga na may waiver at hinihintay namin ang paliwanag po (We are trying to confirm the report if there was really a waiver and we are waiting for an explanation)," Malaya said.
Selected residents in NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal (NCR Plus) were entitled to a P1,000 to P4,000 assistance after being placed under the enhanced community program (ECQ), the strictest form of lockdown, from March 29 to April 11.
When ECQ lapsed, the quarantine restriction was eased to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until April 30.
Read more: Bulacan residents required to sign waiver for P1,000 ECQ ‘ayuda’