More village officials face SAP-related raps

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A village chief and four others at Barangay To-oy, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental were criminally charged Wednesday for alleged irregularities in the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) distribution.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Bacolod filed the cases before the City Prosecutor’s Office for violation of Falsification of Public/Official Documents under Article 172 or Revised Penal Code, Republic Act (RA) 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

The respondents are Barangay Captain Tezardo Tejada, barangay secretary Josephine Mongcal, barangay health workers Jerelyn Gomez and Ma. Cristina Nifraz, and Day Care worker Gina Ortega, according to Police Chief Master Sergeant Ramiro Gocotano, CIDG-Bacolod head.

Gocotano said five residents lodged a complaint against the respondents, accusing them of allegedly tampering with their SAP forms upon their completion, causing their disqualification to receive the cash aid from the national government.

Gocotano said that the complainants alleged that the respondents connived in changing the monthly income they declared in their SAP forms to exclude them as qualified beneficiaries of the SAP allowance.

SAP allowance from the national government should be given to qualified recipients identified as poorest of the poor affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This is the second village in the province that is being investigated by the CIDG for SAP anomalies.

Earlier, CIDG-Negros Occidental also filed charges against five barangay officials and two others in Talisay City in relation to SAP anomalies.