General Santos City — The City Social Welfare Development Office on Wednesday clarified that barangay officials and other local leaders have no power or authority to remove any 4Ps member in the official list from the DSWD.

Sarah Kate Batilong of the CSWDO disclosed to the city council that barangay officials who are candidates in the upcoming BSKE next month must prohibit themselves in trying to intimidate or threaten beneficiaries with disenfranchisement if they are being found out not supporting a candidate.

She added that only the DSWD can remove a beneficiary from the official list once they violate certain guidelines and provisions of the said program after thorough investigation and verification.

To recall, the city councilors has invited the CSWDO to air some concerns they have received from the barangays saying that allegedly some barangay officials used the DSWD programs such as TUPAD and AICS to their leverage to solicit votes in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2023.

When pressed by city councilor Elizabeth Bagonoc if there are any orders or memo addressed to the CSWDO on the event of inviting local officials to serve as witnesses during the releasing of payouts, Batilong said that there was none.

However, she disclosed that "social workers should be able to understand the limits of involving candidates in their activities."