Senator Loren Legarda has filed a resolution seeking a Senate inquiry into the implementation and distribution of government cash assistance and subsidy programs following reports of alleged discriminatory practices in Batangas.

Under Proposed Senate Resolution No. 381, Legarda called on the appropriate Senate committee to investigate, in aid of legislation, the allocation and delivery of public assistance programs “with the end view of ensuring safe, non-partisan, transparent, digital, and rules-based public assistance.”

The resolution cited reports from Batangas claiming that at least 84 barangays in the municipalities of Taal and Nasugbu were allegedly excluded or not invited to participate in aid distribution activities under the “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” program.

A similar resolution was filed by her son, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste, prodding the Marcos administration to launch an investigation into the alleged discrimination and corruption in its "Bawat Bayan Makikinabang" programs, including the "Bawat Barangay Makikinabang" program.

According to the resolution, the barangays were supposedly left out despite official statements that all barangays would receive funding and despite their timely submission of required documents.

"Such incidents raise serious concerns on whether the current practice in government cash assistance and subsidy programs requiring large numbers of beneficiaries to physically line up for validation or payout is humane, safe, efficient, and consistent with the purpose of emergency relief," she said.

The resolution also noted reports suggesting that the alleged exclusion may have been influenced by “local political considerations or other non-objective factors.”

Photographs from the aid distribution activities further prompted concerns after rice packs distributed to beneficiaries allegedly carried the logos of the Executive Secretary and the provincial government, along with accompanying slogans.

Legarda said these incidents underscore the need to ensure that government assistance programs are implemented based on “clear, uniform, and non-partisan criteria.”

The senator also urged the Office of the President to conduct a “thorough, impartial, and independent investigation” into the alleged exclusion of the 84 barangays and other possible irregularities in the implementation of government subsidy and assistance initiatives, including the “Bawat Bayan, Makikinabang” program.

The proposed Senate inquiry would also examine possible measures imposing criminal, administrative, and electoral penalties against public officials or private intermediaries found to have manipulated or politicized aid distribution.

The resolution specifically mentioned acts such as conditioning, influencing, delaying, diverting, or selectively distributing public assistance for political advantage, including “acts of exclusion, preferential inclusion, or the imposition of informal commissions or similar arrangements.”

Legarda said the proposed legislative review aims to ensure that all government assistance allocations are released in a “fair, transparent, and formula-based manner,” free from undue political influence or preferential treatment.