Davao barangay officials in hot water

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office in Davao Region reported on Friday that it has assisted a complainant in filing criminal and administrative charges against the chief of Barangay Sinawilan and a barangay kagawad who admitted in a video interview with a local radio program to deducting a large portion of the cash assistance received by the pregnant beneficiary.

In a statement, the DSWD-11 said that it provided assistance to a certain Anne Villarin in filing the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in Davao City against the two barangay officials allegedly involved in the deduction of P8,500 from the P10,000 worth of aid given to Villarin who is a pregnant beneficiary last 6 June.

Based on the instruction of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, a complaint affidavit was jointly executed by Villarin and DSWD-11 regional director Atty. Vanessa Goc-ong on behalf of the Department.

The formal complaint was submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in the Davao Region, together with the affidavit of witnesses and authentication executed by the Brigada News FM Davao reporter and Field Office-11’s legal assistant.

“Our office has also provided Mrs. Villarin with an additional P8,500 because she refused to accept the money being returned by the barangay officials after the post went viral,” said Irene Dumlao, assistant secretary for Disaster Response Management Group who is also the agency spokesperson.

Villarin is the pregnant woman from Sinawilan, Matanao, Davao del Sur who complained in a video that the P10,000 she received during the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fishermen and their Families payout on 6 June in Digos City was reduced by the barangay to P1,500.