ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN

Public officials who employ favoritism or are selective in providing government assistance or "ayuda" to their constituents should be placed in jail and barred from seeking public office. 

Thus, said House Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, who filed a House bill Thursday, June 27 to institutionalize such penalties. 

The bill titled “An Act Penalizing Selective, Discretionary, and Discriminatory Acts in the Delivery of Cash, Livelihood, or Relief Assistance Programs of Local Government Units (LGUs),” will impose on erring officials a jail term of six months to one year and perpetual disqualification from holding public office. 

“Lagi nating naririnig ang problema na namimili si government official ng bibigyan niya ng ayuda mula sa gobyerno tuwing may kalamidad, pero wala namang nangyayari sa reklamo dahil walang napaparusahan dahil walang batas laban dito,” Tulfo said. 

(We always hear complaints that this government official is selective in giving aid during times of camalimites, but nothing comes out of it because there's no law against it.) 

Tulfo says there are instances wherein local government officials select and prioritize the recipients of the assistance programs based on personal considerations. He claims that those who don't get prioritized are usually non-supporters of these politicians. 

“Dapat ang ayuda ay walang pinipiling kulay. Dapat kahit anong partido ka, mapa-pula, berde, dilaw, pink, puti, it does not matter,” the broadcast journalist-turned lawmaker added. 

(The distribution of aid should be unbiased. It doesn't matted which party you belong to, be it red, green, yellow, pink, or white.) 

The proponent believes that such an abhorent practice is directly violative of the principles of accountability and transparency in government service. 

“Ang iba namang opisyal inuuna ang mga kamag-anak tulad ng nangyari noong pandemic. Dapat hindi ganun," Tulfo also noted. 

(Meanwhile, some officials prioritize their relatives like what happened during the pandemic. That shouldn't be the case.)