Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste is prodding the Marcos administration to launch an investigation on the alleged discrimination and corruption in its "Bawat Bayan Makikinabang" programs, including the "Bawat Barangay Makikinabang" program.

This, after the neophyte congressman told House of Representatives reporters that at least 84 barangays were allegedly not invited for the distribution of aid under the program in an April 24 event that was attended by President Marcos.

Leviste intends to file a House resolution in a bid to gain his solon-colleagues' sense on the matter.

He said the reported snub of the 84 barangays raises concerns about discriminatory implementation of the program that sought to provide each of the villages with P200,000.

In a draft resolution shared on social media, Leviste urged the Office of the President (OP) "to immediately conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into reports of discrimination in the implementation of the 'Bawat Barangay Makikinabang' and 'Bawat Bayan Makikinabang' programs, including the exclusion of certain barangays, and alleged requests for commissions in exchange for funding allocations".

"One barangay captain reported that their exclusion was allegedly explained by Batangas Liga ng Barangay President Fernando Rocafort as being due to Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, the wife of Executive Secretary [Ralph] Recto who oversees this program, suggesting that political considerations influence the distribution of public funds, contrary to the stated purpose of the program," the resolution read.

Leviste claimed there were also separate reports of middlemen approaching local government units (LGUs) and offering access to funds under the Local Government Support Fund in exchange for commissions of up to 25 percent.

He says this highlights the possibility of corruption in the allocation of public funds.

Leviste reckoned that the OP "should be urged to ensure the release of the P200,000 for every barangay, as well as rice and other assistance intended for beneficiaries, through direct and efficient mechanisms, as soon as possible, without requiring barangay officials and beneficiaries to travel long distances and incur expenses to attend distribution ceremonies amid the ongoing oil crisis".

"Such ceremonies not cause any delay in what could be the immediate and efficient distribution of assistance," said the outspoken legislator.

He also reckoned that the administration should direct all implementing agencies to publish in full the list of allocations and releases under the 'Bawat Bayan Makikinabang' programs.

The OP, Leviste said, must ensure that all funds are released without discrimination; and adopt a transparent, formula-based allocation system, similar to the National Tax Allotment (NTA), to reduce discretion and the potential for discrimination or corruption in the distribution of funds.

He noted that the NTA formula distributes funds to local government units on the basis of 50 percent population, 25 percent land area, and 25 percent equal sharing, which reduces discretion and the potential for discrimination or corruption.