In order to protect the public from corrupt fundraising activities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) met with law enforcement agencies to discuss creating better policies and guidelines for public solicitation.
Present at the meeting held on Wednesday, Sept. 14 were DSWD Standards Bureau Director Justin Caesar Anthony Batocabe and representatives from the Department of Justice – Cybercrime Division, Department of Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Local Government Development, National Bureau of Investigation – Legal Evaluation Legislative, and the Philippine National Police.
DSWD said that the agencies agreed to create a "technical working group" to establish each agency's roles and responsibilities and discuss "specific policies and guidelines to improve public solicitation."
As per Presidential Decree No. 1564 or the Solicitation Permit Law, the DSWD has the sole power to control solicitations from groups or individuals.
Those who wish to conduct solicitation need to apply for a permit to the DSWD to prevent any illegalities.
The department also held a separate meeting with Crowdfunding and Fundraising consultant agency members regarding the same issue.
Some of the discussed areas of the partnership were "information dissemination of public solicitation guidelines and monitoring unpermitted solicitation; establishment of internal control mechanism to the customers of the Crowdfunding and Fundraising Consultants relative to public solicitation; and, to study the photography-child protection policy of DSWD."