Manila: Senator Robinhood Padilla on Friday urged fellow public officials to refrain from distributing Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) relief goods in a manner that suggests they originate from the officials themselves, emphasizing that such assistance belongs to the Filipino people.
According to Philippines News Agency, Padilla, in a Facebook post, reminded politicians that disaster aid is funded by taxpayers and government borrowings, not by the personal resources of elected officials. He highlighted the unfairness of public servants taking credit for relief operations when the funds are not from their own pockets.
Padilla stressed that disaster response should focus on the needs and dignity of affected Filipinos rather than the image of politicians. He lamented that despite repeated discussions in the Senate plenary about preventing the misuse of publicly funded relief goods, little has changed in operations on the ground. He reiterated that DSWD resources are public funds meant for the people, not political tools for public officials to elevate their profiles during emergencies.
Earlier, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson called for reforms to ensure that DSWD's financial assistance programs are protected from patronage politics, particularly during election years. Lacson noted that 'ayuda' allocations, especially the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, see significant spikes during election cycles and are often distributed in large gatherings attended by legislators.
Lacson emphasized the need to fix the DSWD's budget, advocating for aid distribution to be data-driven with a clear program, devoid of whimsical, arbitrary, and politically motivated actions. The Senate has since removed questionable add-ons in the proposed 2026 budget, including reducing inflated allocations and bringing the Strengthening Assistance for Social Programs fund down to zero. These reforms aim to 'remedy malpractices' and ensure aid is delivered directly to beneficiaries without political interference.
