Senate OK’d AKAP fund – lawmakers

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos knew about the P26.7 billion allocated for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita program (AKAP) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as she signed the bicameral conference committee report when the Senate approved the 2024 national budget.

This was the assertion of members of the House of Representatives yesterday in defense of Speaker Martin Romualdez amid accusations that the cash assistance program for the “near-poor” was at his beck and call.

Senior House Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. showed Congress reporters a copy of the page where the senator affixed her signature in the bicameral conference report containing funds for AKAP.

“AKAP is part of the 2024 national budget. The Senate gave its stamp of approval when it passed the then proposed P5.768-trillion outlay for this year in plenary last Nov. 28,” Gonzales recalled.

Media reports showed 21 senators voted “yes” in the plenary for the national budget, with one abstention and no negative vote.

Marcos, who defended the DSWD budget for 2024 in the Senate, said she did not notice the item as she pointed out that her signature on the document was electronic, and there was no proper discussion about AKAP during the bicameral conference.

She said she would set a separate probe on the issue.

Gonzales said the Senate ratified the bicameral conference report on the budget, which was signed by committee members led by finance panel chairman Sen. Sonny Angara and his counterpart, House appropriations committee chairman and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

Reps. Geraldine Roman of Bataan, Raul Angelo Bongalon of Ako Bicol and Rodge Gutierrez of 1-Rider party-list appealed to Marcos to stop maligning the Speaker and “putting political color” into the project, whose implementation will be carried out by the executive, and not legislative, department.

For his part, Co has confirmed the existence of such fund, but denied insinuations the program has been re-directed toward the people’s initiative, whose signature verification process has since been archived by the Commission on Elections.

Announced by the House leadership in November 2023, the AKAP was