DEPUTY Speaker Quezon Province Rep. David “Jayjay” Suarez has lamented that Senator Imee Marcos’ decision to realign a whopping P13 billion in the 2023 national budget intended for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is like stealing from 4 million poor Filipinos.

In the briefing of the House Committees on Public Accounts and Social Services on the privilege speech delivered by 4Ps Party-list Rep. JC Abalos on the realignment, Suarez confirmed from DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian the alleged realignment of funds by Senator Marcos in 2023 and was allocated to other social amelioration programs.

“Lumabas ‘yung House version natin, maintained intact ‘yung pera ng 4Ps. Now I don’t know what happened in the Senate, why all of a sudden P13 billion was slashed. At dahil sa P13 billion natanggal, mayroon 843,000 Filipino families, which is around 4 million poor Filipinos, ang hindi nakatanggap dahil sa budget cut,” Suarez said during the hearing.

“Ayun ang malungkot. Ngayon hindi ko alam kung paano natin ilalarawan ang isang sitwasyon na ninakawan natin ang isang mahirap. Kasi kalimitan, ang mga mayaman ang ninanakawan. Kaso lang hindi dapat ninanakawan ang mahihirap. Kasi wala na nga silang pera,” he lamented.

“Tatanggalan pa natin sila ng dapat nila matanggap. Sa palagay ko, hindi kaya ng sikmura ko yan,” he said.

Gatchalian, answering queries from Suarez, said that the 4Ps program is not just an amelioration program of the DSWD, it is based on a law.

He said the objective is for enrolled families to literally cross the threshold of being impoverished and break intergenerational poverty.

“Dapat ‘yung matatanggap nila buwan-buwan, natatanggap nila. Yung assistance na dapat matanggap nila, natatanggap nila. Kasi oras na may pagkakataon na mayroong puwang o may gap doon sa buwan na hindi nila natanggap, pwedeng lumala yung level ng kahirapan nila,” asked Suarez, to which Gatchalian said yes.

“Kumbaga, unti-unting po natin silang inaakyat. Tapos mabutasan ka na ng ilang buwan, babalik na naman sa stage 1 yun,” Suarez again asked.

“That’s correct,” said Gatchalian, adding ‘Malulubog sa utang or so and so forth.”

Suarez continued that he can’t stomach why Sen. Marcos realigned P13 billion from the 4Ps budget as millions of poor Filipinos stopped receiving cash aid.

“Kaya nga hindi ko po masikmura yun ang nangyari na bakit natin ninakawan ng pondo ‘yung mga mahihirap,” Suarez stressed.

Abalos, who delivered the privilege speech questioning the realignment, said that because of the realignment, the deficit of DSWD in the 4Ps program increased to a whopping P9 billion.

He referred to a press release from the Senate where Sen. Marcos admitted slashing the 4Ps budget and redirecting funds to other social amelioration program of the DSWD.

“Kung titingnan po natin ang nakasulat dito sa isang press statement sa Senado, nakalagay po diyan, ni-recommend ang pagtapyas ng P8 billion dahil nga daw mababa ‘yung utilization rate and ini-align ito sa mga ibang programa ,which are CALAHISIDS, AICS, saka sa mga quick response natin sa mga calamity,” Abalos said.

“So, tingin ko po, kung hindi sana natapyasan ng walong bilyon ang budget ng taong ‘yun, ‘yung deficit ng DSWD, sana isang bilyon na lang. Ngayon, dahil natapyasan, umabot po ng P9 billion,” he added.