Matapang na inihayag ni Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian na ititigil nila ang financial aid distribution o pamimigay ng ayuda at social services sa mga tao kung sakaling may makialam na mga politiko.
“Hindi ko papapuntahin ‘yong mga paymaster namin at ‘yong mga social worker namin habang nandoon ‘yong mga politiko,” saad ni Sec. Gatchalian sa isinagawang press briefing ng Presidential Communications Office (PCO) nitong Lunes, Enero 12.
“We have the option to stop, ‘di ba, ‘pag nag-gatecrash, we can stop,” sagot naman ng kalihim kung sakaling biglaan ang pagpunta ng politiko sa distribution site.
Sinuportahan ni Gatchalian ang kaniyang mga pahayag sa pagsasabing ito raw ay nakasaad bilang “explicit provision” sa binuo nilang “joint memo circular” kasama ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDeV).
“Remember, we were tasked to create a joint memo circular among DSWD, DOLE, at saka DEPDeV—and may explicit provision doon na ‘pag ka act of payouts, dapat wala talagang mga politiko. So what we intend to do, first things first, is to get that provision and explicitly move it to the memo circular for AICS,” ani Gatchalian.
Giit pa niya, “Alam n’yo, ang line of defense talaga namin will be our social workers. These are professionals. I don’t wanna speak for the other departments na may ganitong provision but kami, may extra line of defense kami, ‘yong mga social worker namin—and these professionals will not allow themselves to be used for political gain of anybody.”
Nang matanong kaugnay sa “legislation” patungkol dito, tahasang inihayag ni Gatchalian na iiwan niya na lamang daw ito sa “best judgment and wisdom” ng mga mambabatas.
Vincent Gutierrez/BALITA
