AKAP, TAPAD stage shows of corruption
I was influenced by the less-combative language of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, a part of a group called Alliance for Good Governance, when he exposed the 777 can of worms of Speaker Martin Romualdez. Unlike many whistleblowers we saw in the past who would spew their accusations in self-righteous words, Mayor Magalong, like a true gentleman, suppressed his anger with sad, somewhat monotonic voice. So, I composed my article “7 Is The Number” last Sunday in lighthearted fashion and not with words expressive of a wronged man.
A reader, after going thru my write-up, wasted no minute to call my attention. He insisted that the Romualdez’ 777 program was corruption of the worst form and it should, as much as possible, be exposed in detail for the public to know. As a shameless plunder of peoples’ money, 777 should not be treated in a rather cavalier manner that my last column appeared to be. Realizing that the reader was right, I yield.
Each one of the three digits in 777 represents a virtual plunder of public funds made, in the way the labels of these allocations are written, to appear as a socialist program of some noble kind. These three are the 1.) Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP), 2.) The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), and 3.) The Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) which was allocated with ?28.867 billion for 2024.
The mayor revealed that the speaker went around the country tagging along congressmen. No, the lawmakers did not join their House chief just for sheer junket. The legislators went with their leader even in areas outside of their jurisdiction because they were reportedly goaded by a presumed promise of millions of pesos convertible to campaign logistics. ?7 million for AKAP, another ?7 million pesos for AICS and the ?7 million pesos for TUPAD. All told, all representatives who joined the speaker’s touring were supposedly given a total of ?21 million.
True enough, there was widespread news of manifest corruption. Members of the Lower House who allegedly received from the speaker such huge dough enjoyed festivals of fund sharing with their supporters without having to explain anything except to insinuate that the money came from their own pockets. My oh my! Listings of purported beneficiaries were accordingly done by trusted leaders and staff of congressmen. Naturally the names in the lists were those of their partisans, and people perceived to be supporters of opposing camps were excluded. Those were indicia of patronage politics although I had no way of validating these reports.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian flatly denied reports of such anomalous practice. He stated that no politicians were involved in the spread of AKAP, AICS, and TUPAD funds. Only his social workers managed the fund distribution. Unfortunately, while his words were reassuring, social media got deluged by incontrovertible proof rebutting Gatchalian’s assertion. For example, in Optic Politics, the FB page of Alan Paje, he posted a picture that looked like a well-decorated stage. There was a tarpaulin at the background printed with “AKAP Pay Out, thank you Cong Bonifacio L Bosita”. The printed advertisement clearly showed that Quezon Province-born Congressman Bosita of the 1-Rider Partylist was the one distributing AKAP funds and certainly not the DSWD.
A second example of another social media posting that validated the Mayor Magalong claim of corruption made Gatchalian a liar. The post showed a stage, this time bannering a tarpaulin backdrop written with TAPAD payout. The fund distribution was done in the presence of entertainer Luis “Lucky” Manzano, son of Vilma Santos and former husband Edu Manzano. Obviously, it was not a DSWD social worker who organized the distribution of the funds. Hello, Sec Gatchalian!
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