QC suspends processing of PWD IDs till Friday
“Abuse by the rich and powerful at the expense of the handicapped and less fortunate will never be condoned or tolerated in this city.”
Quezon City (QC) Mayor Joy Belmonte stressed this Wednesday night after the city government suspended the processing of persons with disability identification cards from Thursday, June 25, to Friday, June 26, after finding out the issuance of PWD IDs to six “unqualified individuals” belonging to a “well-off family.”
Belmonte said the suspension will allow the local government “to craft new guidelines to eliminate abuse” and “to ensure that only those deserving get the PWD cards.”
“We will use the two days to come up with the needed safeguards... Our protocols will be revisited and needed controls will be placed so the system will not be abused by greedy and opportunistic individuals,” she added.
The action was taken after the local government launched on Tuesday a probe into the issuance of PWD IDs “to six immediate members of a well-off family despite being not qualified under Republic Act No. 10754, An Act Expanding The Benefits And Privileges Of Persons With Disability (PWD).”
A photo of PWD IDs issued to the family even went viral on social media, according to the local government.
Upon learning of the incident, Belmonte personally went with City Lawyer Nino Casimiro to the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) to look into the records of the six individuals. She discovered that there were no application forms or supporting documents on record to justify the issuance of their PWD IDs.
The family only allegedly paid ₱2,000 each for the PWD IDs, the investigation showed.
The local chief executive said they already identified the suspect behind the wrongful issuance of PWD IDs. He was given on Thursday 72 hours within which to explain why he should not be held administratively and criminally liable.
Casimiro said the employee could face a grave misconduct case, which merits a penalty of dismissal from service.
Following the incident, the local government bared that the city’s official list of PWDs “is now being thoroughly reviewed and procedural safeguards are now being installed to make sure that only those qualified under the law will enjoy its protection and privileges.”
It has also assured business owners, being direct victims of this fraudulent act by unscrupulous individuals and corrupt government officials, that the matter is being taken seriously by Belmonte.
Reacting the to suspension of PWD ID processing, ACT CIS Partylist Rep. Eric Go Yap urged the Quezon City government to temporarily relieve from their posts all city hall staff involved in the processing and issuance of PWD IDs.