Iloilo City village head sued over relief goods distribution

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – Region 6 (CIDG-6) hauled another barangay official to court on July 3, 2020.

But Barangay Chairman Neil Parcon of Liberation village, City Proper district in Iloilo City was not charged for the distribution of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

Instead, a female constituent accused the barangay chairman of depriving her of food relief assistance while Iloilo City was under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gervacio Balmaceda, CIDG-6 regional director, said they filed two criminal charges against Parcon for “alleged anomalies in the distribution of relief goods.”

The village chairman was charged for violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act) and RA 11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act) docketed under NPS Docket No. VI-10-INV-20G-00307 handled by Assistant City Prosecutor Thaddeuse Guadalope.

Balmaceda said that based on the investigation of CIDG Iloilo City Field Unit, the complainant was given her share of relief goods coming from the barangay at the onset of ECQ in the third week of March 2020.

In fact, she was even included in the list of SAP beneficiaries and was able to receive the P6,000 cash assistance.

“However, a dispute ensued between Brgy. Chairman Parcon and the complainant on April 15. It was allegedly due to misunderstanding and personal grudges,” Balmaceda said.

From April 15 until June 1, the last days of relief goods distribution, the complainant failed to get any “in kind” assistance.

On top of that, she was also not able to secure a quarantine pass from the Office of the Mayor of Iloilo City because Parcon “personally deprived her to receive anything coming from the barangay. As a result, the complainant suffered from harassment and unfair treatment committed by the said chairman,” the CIDG said.

Balmaceda said a separate administrative case for Violation of R.A. 6713 (Code of Ethical Standard of Public Official) will be referred at the Office of the Ombudsman upon resumption of its services.

Parcon cannot be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Balmaceda vowed that all irregularities in government aid distribution will be investigated properly by CIDG with the help of local police.

As of July 3, the CIDG has already handled 25 cases. Twenty-three were already filed in court while two are still pending.

These cases involved 120 suspects and 104 complainants.

Bacolod City has the most number of cases with 10; the provinces of Negros Occidental and Iloilo have four cases each; Iloilo City, Capiz, and Antique have two cases each; and one for Aklan.