Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday, March 3 said it is high-time President Marcos leads the government in rationalizing all cash assistance programs for the poor and the marginalized to minimize corruption and remove partisan politics from it.

Considering that these financial assistance programs are funded under the national budget law, Pimentel said it is imperative to ensure that the poorest of the poor are the ones benefitting straight from the program. 

“Kelangan may rationalization para mas marami ang mabigyan (There should be rationalization so that more people can be given assistance),” Pimentel said in an interview over Radio DZBB.

“May mga leakages , at parang masyadong marami tayong gusto gawin, di mo pa naangaat yung pinaka mahirap. Dapat concentrate tayo, sa (There are plenty of leakages and it seems we want to do so much but we haven’t even really helped the poorest citizens. We should be concentrating on the beneficiaries of the) 4Ps…the poorest of the poor,” said Pimentel.

The 4Ps stands for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a conditional cash transfer program of the government being administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

For one, Pimentel said the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP)—an item that suddenly appeared during the bicameral committee report on the 2024 national budget—is an unnecessary add-on to the current list of government assistance programs. 

“Bigla na lang lumabas sa bicam; pero tulong ito sa meron nang kita. May sweldo na (It suddenly sprouted during the bicam; financial aid for those who are already earning. Already receiving pay),” he noted.

“Bakit hindi natin tulungan yung walang kita at i-review natin itong minimum wage kasi baka ito rin ang problema (Why don't we help those who can't earn, and review the minimum wage in the process, because this might be the problem)," he added.

“Yung pinaka logic is tulungan muna yung pinaka mahihirap natin (The logical thing to do is to prioritize the country’s poorest of the poor),” Pimentel stressed. 

That is why, he said, it is important for the President himself to lead his administration in reviewing all existing poverty alleviation programs. 

“Dapat merong over-all na sa Executive branch nakatingin dyan, tinitingnan niya dapat, ano ba itong ating mga ayuda programs? May target tayo.. wag tayo masyado maging ambisyoso na tulungan na natin yung mga nakatayo dyan at naglalakad…Tulungan dapat natin yung mga di makatayo (Someone from the Executive branch who should be focused on this particular task, checking all these cash assistance programs. We should have a target… let’s not be too ambitious that we help even who are those able and can walk…let’s prioritize those who cannot rise),” Pimentel said.

“Kasama na dapat Presidente mismo (sa review).. ang budget kasi starts with the President, the executive branch, led by the President. Upuan na nila yan (The President himself should be included in the review… because the budget starts with the President, the Executive branch led by the President. They should look into this),” he pointed out.

“Akala ko ba meron (I thought we have a) presidential adviser on poverty alleviation? O yan. Nasaan yung mga idea nya? Di naman yun bobo di ba? Dapat ilabas na niya yung katalinuhan niya, kung papano natin ira-rationalize yan (Where are his ideas? He’s not stupid, right? He should bring out his brightest ideas on how we will rationalize these programs),” the lawmaker added. 

Last January, the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, started investigating the “ayuda scam” in some parts of Mindanao, where some local officials are allegedly taking kickbacks from subsidies meant for the beneficiaries of the program. 

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito also recently exposed another similar “ayuda” scam in San Juan City, where the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, was allegedly being exploited by some local officials. 

"These aid mechanisms have become instruments for political ambition. Instead of going to beneficiaries, they are used to reward allies and bankroll operators. In other words, they are used for patronage politics," Ejercito said in a privilege speech.