Election lawyer and senior citizen advocate Romy Macalintal called on Congress on Wednesday to launch an immediate investigation into the delayed release of cash benefits under the Expanded Centenarians Act, citing mounting complaints from elderly beneficiaries.

Macalintal said many senior citizens reaching the milestone ages of 80, 85, 90 and 95 have expressed deep frustration over monthslong delays in receiving the mandated P10,000 cash incentive.

Some applicants who filed in February or March 2025 were reportedly informed that their payouts would not be released until June 2026.

“Many have already complained to me about this issue,” Macalintal said. “The senior citizens partylist groups in Congress should call for an immediate hearing and summon the concerned agencies to explain why benefits are taking more than six months to be released.”

Macalintal also questioned the bottleneck, noting that the program’s funding has already been appropriated under the national budget.

“The funds are already budgeted, so there should no longer be delays,” he said. “We need a congressional hearing so we can determine who the persons responsible are and why these funds are being delayed.”

While initial delays in 2024 may have stemmed from budget adjustments during the law’s first year of implementation, Macalintal stressed that the 2025 and 2026 national budgets should have already accounted for the growing number of beneficiaries. The law took effect in March 2024.

He also questioned why the process remains slow despite the government’s digitized systems, noting that complaints have been particularly high in Quezon City.

To help mitigate the backlog, Macalintal urged local Offices for Senior Citizens Affairs and village officials to assist elderly residents in preparing and submitting their requirements at least six months before they hit their milestone birthdays.

Macalintal also criticized lawmakers representing the elderly sector, accusing them of a lack of urgency.

“Our congressmen should be making noise about this in Congress,” he said. “There are so many public funds being lost elsewhere, so why are benefits already provided by law still being delayed?”