House to look into 4Ps mess

The House of Representatives will look into irregularities unearthed by the Commission on Audit (COA) in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

Rep. Bernadette HerreraDy of Bagong Henerasyon party-list and chairperson of the committee on women and gender equality yesterday urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to conduct its own inquiry.

“I will give the DSWD time to conduct its probe. If after some reasonable time I am not satisfied with the results, the DSWD can expect a full-scale congressional investigation,” Dy said.

The COA reported that there were funds amounting to P10.7 billion that the DSWD could not acount for, unclaimed financial assistance totaling P5.4 billion, P1.3 of which was not withdrawn, and P1.2 billion in 1.89 million accounts with outstanding balances.

Dy said there is something suspicious in the inability of the DSWD to liquidate billions in 4Ps assistance and the failure of millions of beneficiary- families to get their money in their ATM accounts in Land Bank of the Philippines, where it is deposited.

Dy said P18.6 billion in unused and unaccounted for money “or even a significant chunk of that if found to be part of a systematic scheme to try to siphon away government funds would be plunder.”

“Every person, whether inside or outside DSWD, who is part of any scheme to steal 4Ps funds must be dealt with to the fullest extent of our criminal and civil laws,” she said.

Dy also urged acting DSWD Secretary Virginia Orogo to immediately remove from the list of 4Ps beneficiaries those who did not withdraw the assistance they are supposed to receive.

She said it is possible millions of ATM account holders are ghost beneficiaries who are slowly withdrawing the funds.

“A syndicate that has access to the DSWD 4Ps database, systems and procedures could be behind this anomaly,” Dy said.

She said the accounts with unused balances should be frozen and the funds should be returned to the national treasury.