O/S DELA ROSA: AYUDA SCAM IN DAVAO DEL NORTE AND DAVAO DE ORO

SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER AND DANGEROUS DRUGS PSR 873 - AYUDA SCAM IN DAVAO DEL NORTE AND DAVAO DE ORO JANUARY 23, 2024

OPENING STATEMENT

I have never been mum about the fact that I hail from the Davao region. In fact, I am proud of it. After all, to say that Davao is blessed with so much is an understatement. I daresay it is a region that is home not only to natural resources, but also to courageous trailblazers, who have devoted their whole lives to public service and love of country, with no less than the Former President Rodrigo Duterte topping the list in my book.

Kung kaya sa tingin ko, hindi lamang sa Davao City applicable ang slogan na "Davao: Life is here." Applicable din ito sa buong Davao Region. Kung kaya noong nabalitaan ko ang tungkol sa ayuda scheme na nagmukhang ayuda scam, napakahirap tanggapin, lalong-lalo na para sa akin.

Late last year, my office received a letter from Governor Jubahib. He was requesting for an investigation. According to him, he discovered that there were over 60 individuals from Davao del Norte and seven from Davao de Oro who had been allegedly victimized by a scheme they infamously called as the "Ayuda Scam."

There were serious allegations narrating how beneficiaries who were supposed to receive the expected assistance of P5,000.00 received the meager amount of P1,000.00. Further, the governor described how the perpetrators led the victims to a separate room where their money would be "forcibly taken" from them, and how they went home with only P1,000.00 in their pocket.

In light of these allegations and the sheer weight of the possible corruption that underpins them, we admit that this is a major concern that our government should deeply look into. We should ask: Why would we even let it happen? How could we let them happen? Is it also happening in other regions?

Bumaba ang poverty incidence sa bansa mula sa 23.7% to 22.4% noong first semester ng 2023 ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority. Pababa man ang bilang ng mga naghihirap sa bansa, mayroon pa ring 25.24 million Pilipino na nangangailangan ng mga financial assistance o ayuda mula sa gobyerno. Kung pati ang nakalaang tulong na galing sa gobyerno ay ipagkait sa kanila, kung pati ang tulong na ito ay nanakawin sa kanila, ano na lang ang matitira para sa kanila? Worse, what dignity do these perpetrators have left, especially as public servants, if they had the audacity to take from those who have little, those who have practically nothing?

While the national government is doing its best to do everything in its power to extend help to the less fortunate, it seems that there are enterprising persons who are stealing even the meager help given to those who need it the most.

Today, we are present in this hearing to do all that we can, in aid of legislation, to get to the bottom of this issue. Mainly, we are here to know the following:

1. whether there is indeed a scam, a scheme, or an illegal mechanism in the distribution of financial assistance implemented by DSWD and other government agencies in the Davao Region or any other region in the Philippines; and

2. whether our government agencies are capable of, or if their efforts are adequate in preventing such schemes.

Lastly, we seek the policy recommendations from our resource persons present today and to ensure that there will be no "Ayuda Scam" or any other similar fraudulent mechanisms that would tend to disrupt the peace and order of our communities.

Thank you.