95 Talisay SAP recipients caught lying, return grants

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – 95 Social Amelioration Program grantees in Talisay City returned the P6,000 they received after they were found lying in the Social Amelioration Card to qualify for the cash assistance.

Talisay City Social Welfare Development Officer Dionela Madrona told Daily Guardian that they expect more beneficiaries to return their cash grants on Monday.

“As of today 95 already returned. More are coming on Monday,” Madrona said.

She said they found out that some of the beneficiaries were ineligible and disqualified for the program.

Some of them are government employee’s wife or husband and even children of government employees. Some are pensioners, 4P beneficiaries, appointed or elected barangay officials or their husbands or wives. Nagbinutig sila sa forms nila,” Madrona added.

But she said they will no longer be charged for perjury after returning the money. They will be replaced by eligible beneficiaries.

It was also discovered that more than 100 of the 15,985 recipients in Talisay City were not qualified for the SAP.

Ten persons did not claim their grants last Wednesday, while 29 returned their cash allowance. Some barangay kagawads have sent feelers that they will also return their grants.

She cited one case where members of the kagawads’ families applied for the SAP grants but they did not disclose their kin’s office in the barangay.

On the part of the 4Ps beneficiaries, Madrona said they are not entitled to SAP because they were already given aid through their ATM accounts.

She said the 4Ps beneficiaries face delisting from the program for availing the SAP.

There were also cases where claims were made twice in separate barangays, Madrona said, adding that the social welfare office intercepted the claims and stopped payments.

There were also live-in partners who made separate claims for SAP grants in different barangays, which is not allowed since they live in the same house.