SENATOR Manny Pacquiao has formalized his request for a Senate probe into the questionable disbursement of P10.4 billion for COVID-19 beneficiaries under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The P10.4 billion was supposedly disbursed in full by DSWD through electronic wallet application Starpay.

Pacquiao said Starpay is not a known electronic money issuer (EMI) that holds P52 billion “ayuda” of the administration.

It can be recalled that Pacquiao had accused the Duterte administration of being two to three times more corrupt than the level of corruption during the Aquino administration.

This has caused a split in the ruling PDP-Laban party with the camps of President Duterte, party chairman, and Pacquiao, party president, now at loggerheads.

The boxing icon is currently training in Los Angeles for his upcoming boxing bout in Las Vegas on August 21.

In Senate Resolution 779, Pacquiao cited Article II, Section 27 of the 1987 Constitution which declares that “the State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the public service and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption.’’

Under Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the subsidy shall amount to a minimum of P5,000 to a maximum of P8,000 a month for two months, computed based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates.

Pacquiao said under the disbursement scheme, beneficiaries would neither be able to receive nor withdraw any subsidy under the program without accessing and downloading the Starpay application.

He claimed that records showed only 500,000 beneficiaries out of the total projected 1.8 million beneficiaries were able to download the Starpay application.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Marlon Purification