Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong came out swinging with a televised interview this week accusing certain lawmakers in the country of receiving funds from Speaker Martin Romualdez taken from government cash aid or “ayuda” programs.
Magalong claimed on a recent GMA Network interview that “reliable sources” included in Romualdez’s trips, where he alleged that lawmakers who joined such received as much as P21 million per trip, which these lawmakers then distributed to the populace as if it were their own money, with their names on the distribution efforts.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has denied any such happenings as the alleged money was supposedly siphoned from programs, such as the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), which are under its jurisdiction.
However, it appears that his allegations have struck a nerve in a political rival for the coming elections, Congressman Mark Go, who issued a statement on Wednesday denying any such wrongdoing on the part of the Congress regarding the ayuda funds.
“There is no ‘seven-seven-seven,’ it’s not true. AKAP, AICS, and TUPAD are national government programs of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with well-defined processes and oversight mechanisms,” Go said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Go, lawmakers only “facilitate” the distribution of the welfare funds.
Go instead claimed that Magalong should be supportive instead and help Congress fight for a bigger Baguio budget, citing the former’s seeking a higher budget for more Baguio projects.
