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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tulfo to protect AKAP funds from misuse; says program is his idea 

Tulfo to protect AKAP funds from misuse; says program is his idea 

Published Feb 15, 2024 01:32 am

At A Glance

  • ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has vowed to stand up against people who will use the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) funds for the purpose of signature-gathering under the People's Initiative (PI) for Charter change (Cha-cha). 

20230801_155233-01.jpegACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Screenshot from YouTube live)

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has vowed to stand up against people who will use the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) funds for the purpose of signature-gathering under the People’s Initiative (PI) for Charter change (Cha-cha).

This, as Tulfo, the House deputy majority leader for communications, shared to reporters that AKAP was his brainchild way back when he was still the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary.

"Kung meron ho kayong alam na ginagamit ho itong AKAP na ito sa pirmahan (If you know someone who is using this AKAP in signature-gathering) then you inform me and I will stand up and tell that person or that official," Tulfo said.

"Wag mong gamitin yan dyan because yan ay intended sa mga kababayan natin (Don't use it on that because that is intended for our countrymen)," he said.

Earlier this week, Senator Imee Marcos claimed that AKAP funds were being used in the collection of signatures for PI.

"To tell you straight up, ako po ang nag-coin ng idea na yun (I was the one who coined the idea) since I was with the DSWD before," admitted Tulfo, also a popular broadcast journalist.

ALSO READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/2/14/pumirma-po-siya-gonzales-shows-proof-that-senator-marcos-approved-akap-program

"Kasi napansin ho natin when I was the secretary of DSWD, lahat ho ng ayuda ng DSWD ay nakatuon po sa mga indigent sa mga poorest of the poor...Nakakalimutan po ng gobyerno na meron po tayong klase o grupo ng mga tao na in between. Hindi po sila indigent hindi rin po sila mayaman," he noted.

(When I was the DSWD secretary, I noticed that all of the financial assistance of the DSWD was geared toward indigents, the poorest of the poor...the government forget about the group of people that was in between. They are neither indigent nor rich.)

"Yun pong mga nagtatrabaho sa mga fastfood, mga waiter, security guard, ito po yung mga P23,000 or less o P25,000 or less ang mga sinusuweldo, wala pong natatanggap na ayuda," explained Tulfo.

(These are the ones who work in fastfood chains, the waiters, security guards, their salaries are P23,000 or less than P25,000, and they don't receive any financial aid.)

He said he pitched AKAP to House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The program eventually made its way into the 2024 national budget and was allocated with P26.7 billion.

Related Tags

Sen. Imee Marcos AKAP People’s Initiative Erwin Tulfo
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