The mystery enveloping the controversial People’s Initiative, or PI, offensive that gathered 12 million signatures of petitioners for Charter change in record time just got deeper as another P26.7 billion in funds were suspected to have been disbursed for it.

Senator Imee Marcos said she intends to conduct a separate investigation into the P26.7-billion allocation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s cash aid program which appeared to have been used for the campaign aimed at amending the 1987 Constitution.

Marcos said she had received information that the projects involved in the program would have to be cleared by the House leadership.

“Well, let us see. It has to take a different form because it is no longer covered by the PI but I think it needs to be discussed,” Marcos said in an ambush interview, referring to the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program, or AKAP.

“Perhaps, Secretary [Rex] Gatchalian could provide us with an explanation about it but as far as I know, the DSWD does not know anything about it. It has never come up in any subcommittee, plenary, or other debate,” she added.

Last Tuesday, during the resumption of the public hearing on the alleged payoffs for the signature drive for the PI, senators questioned the DSWD’s AKAP.

Gatchalian was quick on his rebuttal, saying in a statement that “not a single centavo” of the budget for AKAP in this year’s appropriation has been spent as the DSWD “is still crafting the guidelines to ensure the program’s smooth and efficient fulfillment of the agency’s mandate.”

“The GAA (General Appropriations Act) enjoys the presumption of regularity because it went through the tough scrutiny of the legislative branch. We will be remiss in our duties if we do not implement what is in the budget,” Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief explained that the program was designed for those who belong to the “near poor” segment of society to prevent them from being reclassified below the poverty line.

“This segment in our society feels excluded from our DSWD programs. An economic shock such as runaway inflation can easily send the ‘near poor’ back to poverty,” Gatchalian explained.

Item popped out

During the hearing, Senator Marcos expressed her surprise at the cash assistance program, which she said was not included in the department’s budget proposal for 2024.

The lawmaker said she learned about DSWD’s AKAP when she received a text message saying that “all soft projects, including AKAP, must go through the Office of the Speaker.”

As the topic is not covered by the Senate investigation on the PI, Marcos said a separate investigation must be conducted to shed light on the program.

“Yes, there should be a separate investigation because it veered away from the topic of the PI. What I want is to focus on it constructively because it is in aid of legislation,” she said.

“This new legislation would set the rules for the right conduct of a PI, not this PI that is fooling the people, or the politician’s PI and any other fake PI. Let us do the right thing,” she added.

Marcos said she would consult her colleagues in the majority bloc regarding the probe of the discovery.

“I will consult with my colleagues because I also want to know what happened. Although it is confusing because even the DSWD itself has no idea,” she said.

“Even the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) does not know to whom they would release the funds when they do not have an IRR (implementing rules and regulations) for it,” she said.

Expedite withdrawal of signatures

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday urged the Commission on Elections to hasten the issuance of directives that would help individuals withdraw their signatures from the People’s Initiative forms pushing for Charter change.

“Please expedite the process since your personnel are willing to do it if you give the clearance,” Dela Rosa told Comelec chairperson George Garcia.

The senator said it was incumbent on the Comelec to act on the request of the people “who thought they were tricked” into signing the petition in exchange for social benefits.

The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation launched a series of investigations after Dela Rosa and several senators raised an alarm on the alleged signature buying in the PI campaign.

The PI seeks to amend Article 17, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution to have members of the House of Representatives and the Senate vote jointly in a constituent assembly.

Dela Rosa said this would “erode the checks and balances” in the bicameral system of Congress.