P17-billion aid disbursed in NCR-Plus, says interior chief
The government has so far distributed P17
billion out of the P22.9 billion instructed by the President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte be given to low-income families in the NCR-Plus, the interior and local
government secretary said on Monday.
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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the MalacaΓ±ang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in MalacaΓ±ang Park, Manila on May 3, 2021. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
In his report to the President, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo AΓ±o said the amount benefitted 17,037,122 beneficiaries out of the total of 22,915,422 beneficiaries.
In Metro Manila, the government disbursed
P8.6 billion; Bulacan, P2.1 billion; Cavite, P2.1 billion; Laguna, P2.3 billion;
and Rizal, P1.7 billion.
“So patuloy po ang pagdi-distribute ng ating
mga ayuda. At sa ngayon po ay mayroon tayong natanggap na 59,669 complaints.
Na-resolve na po ang 24,421; under deliberation ay 39,781; at ang iba naman ay
in-endorse po natin sa ibang ahensya,” AΓ±o reported.
“Ang target po natin ay lahat ng complaint na
ito ay maresolba at masagot ng ating mga LGUs bago dumating ang May 15, at
totally 100 percent po maipamahagi ang lahat ng ayuda.”
Meanwhile, AΓ±o said the DILG issued a
memorandum circular to local chief executives, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) minister of local government, DILG regional directors,
and the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), defining the roles of
the local officials in the implementation of minimum public health standard and
prohibition on mass gatherings.
Based on the President’s order, governors,
mayors and barangay captains were mandated to carry out the IATF guidelines on
the prohibition on mass gathering such as parties, fiestas, cockfights and
other events.
“Ang PNP po ay tutulong sa ating mga local
chief executives sa pagpapatupad nito. Pero ang PNP po ay --- they will go
after the violators and even against local chief executives na hindi magpapatupad
ng mga batas,” AΓ±o said.
Local chief executives were supposed to
enforce the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines as well as RA 11332,
especially section 9 paragraph D and paragraph E, Mandatory Reporting of
Notifiable Disease[s] and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
Local officials may face administrative and
criminal charges if they fail to enforce the law and prosecute violators, AΓ±o
said, adding the PNP is also ready to make arrests if necessary.
The officials were also mandated to create a
citizen’s feedback mechanism by putting up complaint centers and hotline
numbers where the public can ventilate its grievances.
“So ipatutupad po namin ito at mahigpit po
nating sisiguruhin na walang magaganap na mga mass gathering habang tayo po ay
nasa ilalim ng mga community quarantine lalo na sa MECQ,” he said. PND
