Senator Erwin Tulfo called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure that the victims of Typhoon Tino receive the appropriate amount of government assistance amid reported complaints of discrimination in Cebu.

"It is saddening and infuriating to hear reports that some barangay personnel have made mislabelings on the DSWD forms of several victims of Typhoon Tino in the province of Cebu," Tulfo said.

"This is not the first time such an incident has happened, and it is disheartening that discrimination against disaster victims continues to occur," he added.

Tulfo made the statement after a resident of Purok Isla Verde in Talisay City, Cebu complained that a barangay official had marked his flood-ravaged house as only “partially damaged” on the DSWD assistance form.

"I know DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and I am sure that he will not like this. He will not allow these situations to continue. We have been seeing DSWD quickly respond during calamities so I know that Secretary Rex won’t let this issue pass," he continued.

"This is a double whammy — they’re already victims of a calamity, and now they’re becoming victims again of manipulation in the distribution of aid," he added.

In July, Tulfo has filed Senate Bill No. 254 or the proposed “Anti-Discrimination in the Delivery of Social Protection Programs Act” as one of his priority bills in the 20th Congress.

The measure seeks to penalize selective, discretionary, and discriminatory acts committed by government employees in the delivery of social protection programs to its beneficiaries to ensure fair and equitable distribution to all qualified individuals and families.

“From the word itself, it’s an ‘aid’ for the people, so it must be given to the people and nothing less."