A member of the House of Representatives on Friday allayed fears the contentious Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development would lead to corruption, like the infamous pork barrel scam and the use of confidential funds.

In an interview, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, insisted the AKAP was a far cry from the “Davao model,” alluding to the confidential funds that skyrocketed during the tenure in the city of the Duterte family.

“The AKAP is really distant [from confidential funds]. The AKAP is zero corruption [but] the confidential funds or Davao model, that is one hundred-percent corruption. I will make sure there is corruption here, especially if those who will operate it have a habit of doing it,” Co said in Filipino.

Davao City had confidential funds of P144 million in 2016, the first half of the year under Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who became president later that year. He was succeeded by his daughter, Sara Duterte, who held the post until 30 June 2022 when she became Vice President.

During the VP’s term as mayor, Davao City’s confidential funds more than doubled to P293 million in 2017 and further soared to P420 million in 2018 ansyP460 million each year from 2019 to 2022, based on audit findings.

“AKAP, [and other social aids like] 4Ps are better as they go directly to the people, no friction cost, no corruption,” Co contended. “You have seen how successful the 4Ps is, it’s been 20 years. Just like AKAP, there is no [corruption there]. But those confidential funds, they even outweighed the Napoles [pork barrel scam],” Co said.

At present, Vice President Duterte is facing impeachment complaints over her office’s questionable disbursement of confidential funds of over P600 million.

AKAP provides a one-time cash assistance ranging from P3,000 to P5,000 to “near poor” minimum wage earners or those with incomes that fall below the poverty threshold and are not covered by other government aid programs.

The project, which was the brainchild of Speaker Martin Romualdez and Co, was allocated a whopping P26.7 billion in the 2024 budget and another P26 billion this year.

Former lawmakers and other key government officials were one with progressive groups in expressing scathing criticism of the AKAP, which received significant funding at the expense of the education and health sectors.

The Department of Education incurred a P12-billion budget cut in the 2025 budget, while the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation received no government subsidy, which critics said was unconstitutional.

Co, however, lambasted the opposition who, he said, were merely criticizing a very crucial program that they should have carried out when they were in office.

“Of course, the opposition is afraid because the administration has done something they did not do. Where did they take what should have been given to the people? And that’s when our countrymen will realize that this administration is sensitive [to their needs],” he said.

House members strongly insisted on the inclusion of the AKAP in this year’s budget amid calls to abolish it over concerns that it might be politicized for the May 2025 polls, citing the presence of congressmen during the dole-outs.