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Daphne Galvez - The Philippine Star
December 12, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen Iloilo City officials are facing administrative and criminal charges for allegedly coercing residents into giving up a large portion of their cash aid.
Charges of grave misconduct, graft and corruption, abuse of authority and violation of the code of conduct have been filed against 14 local officials for allegedly seizing the cash aid of beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday led the filing of the complaints before the ombudsman.
“About P8,000 to P9,000 were forcibly taken from each beneficiary, leaving them with only P1,000 to P2,000,” Gatchalian said.
The suspects threatened residents with the removal of their names from the list of beneficiaries if they refused to hand over their cash aid, he said.
“Victims of crises are revictimized. Aside from being a victim of their circumstances, they are revictimized by people of authority,” he lamented.
The ombudsman should preventively suspend the 14 officials to prevent further injury and interference in the probe, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urged.
Payouts in 16 barangays in the city, dated Nov. 7, 11 and 12, are covered in the complaints.
While Gatchalian could not gauge the extent of the crime since some witnesses refused to testify, he said it “seems widescale.”
Incidents are scattered in several villages and there is a pattern in the amount extorted, he noted.
During the payout periods, Gatchalian said there were 2,160 beneficiaries and P21.6 million in cash aid released by the DSWD.
Only 14 complainants appeared, most of whom received medical and burial aid under the AICS program.
Gatchalian said the DSWD is looking to resume AICS payouts by January after its suspension due to the incident.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, for his part, said the 14 officials could be suspended for six months.
As for the victims, Gatchalian said they will undergo “another round of evaluation and assessment by social workers” to receive cash aid again.
Iloilo Rep. Julienne Baronda said “it would be even more prudent for the DSWD to investigate similar incidents that occurred in 2024.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is coordinating with the DSWD, ombudsman and other agencies for a swift investigation.
Monitoring mechanisms will be reinforced to stop abuses of the program at the local level, the DILG said.
14 officials named
Twelve village officials and two employees of the Iloilo city government are facing charges.
Respondents identified are city hall personnel Jobert Lim and Janicol Dizon; Gina Elauria, barangay captain and Jingjing Pineda, barangay councior of Taytay Zone II, Arevalo; Amadeo Sultan, barangay captain and a councilor and a treasurer of Simon Ledesma, Jaro; Visamin Canal, barangay captain and a councilor of Quezon, Arevalo; Remedio Bedia, barangay captain and councilors Juntado and Gonzales of Lanit, Jaro and Rizaline Delmo, barangay captain and councilor Victoria Rowel of Quintin Salas, Jaro.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Paul Ledesma said the 14 officials belong to the first batch of people who will be charged over alleged payout anomalies.
“When we interviewed complainants, it appeared that it had been a practice since the pandemic. It’s become normalized, they said – Jennifer Rendon, Jose Rodel Clapano, Emmanuel Tupas
