Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa says he has no problems if his office will not be given billions worth of funds for AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program) under the 2025 national budget, adding that he will not even accept it.

"I will not take it. Kahit na hirap ako sa eleksyon, kahit na wala akong pampalubag loob doon sa kung sinong dapat lulubagin natin ng loob, I will just appeal to their moralities na wala akong maibigay sa inyo (Even though I'm struggling with the election, and I have no consolation to offer to those whose feelings we need to soothe, I will simply appeal to their sense of morality by saying that I have nothing to give you)," Dela Rosa, a reelectionist in the 2025 midterm polls, said.

The lawmaker made the remark amid the reported P5 billion AKAP allocation for senators' distribution for 2025.

"Sabihan ko 'yung liderato ng Senado na ibigay na lang 'yan sa ibang mga senador. 'Wag na lang ako isama (I will tell the Senate leadership to just give that to other senators. Don't include me)," he noted.

Dela Rosa also expressed the importance of giving the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sole discretion to distribute AKAP and other social aid programs of the government.

While he explained that he was not opposed to distributing aid to the poorest of the poor, the Mindanaoan lawmaker stressed that the distribution should be handled by the DSWD and not politicians.

He warned that AKAP and other social assistance programs might be used to get people's votes, especially in light of the upcoming 2025 mid-term, elections.

"Kung tutuusin sana, kung out of the picture ang pulitiko dyan, totally ha, let the DSWD do it, distribute it-- that is government's money, that is people's money, ibigay 'yan sa taumbayan– then without the presence of the politicians, without the politicians' intervention, napakaganda sana (If we think about it, if the politicians were completely out of the picture, we should just let the DSWD handle it and distribute the funds. After all, that money belongs to the government and the people. It should be given to the citizens. Without the presence of politicians and their interference, it would be so much better)," he said.

"Pambili ng boto 'yan. Ano pa ba ang isipin natin... Talagang ginawa 'yan ng House of Representatives for their own consumption, for whatever kung anong gusto nilang gawin, pero DSWD pa rin ang nag-iimplement...I strongly oppose that particular item in the budget (That's just a vote-buying scheme. What else is there to think about... The House of Representatives really did that for their own benefit, for whatever they wanted to do, but it's still the DSWD that will implement it... I strongly oppose that specific item in the budget)," he added.

Amid the possible use of AKAP in the May 2025 polls, Dela Rosa urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to prohibit the distribution of financial aids during the campaign period.

"Most likely, it will influence your decision come election day...So, dapat ipagbawal ng Comelec ito (Comelec should prohibit this)," he said.

Dela Rosa is among the senators who questioned the allocation of AKAP under the 2024 national budget. Doubts about the program's purpose were first raised during the Senate's investigation into the controversial people's initiative when it was found out that the DSWD did not propose the program.