By John Rey Saavedra
In Cebu City, the head of the city council’s senior citizens committee urged for an inquiry into suspected irregularities in disbursing cash aid to the elderly. Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. pressed for an investigation as he received ongoing complaints regarding senior citizens not receiving their entitled assistance from the city administration. He cited recent instances, including two seniors from Barangay Mambaling who informed his office that they received nothing during the previous cash aid distribution.
Each senior citizen in the city gets a cash assistance of PHP3,000 quarterly or PHP12,000 annually.
“This problem is the same problem that we heard before. Why is this problem linger(ing) on without punishing anyone?” Alcover said in an interview.
Distribution of cash aid to the city’s 90,000 elderly citizens is done through the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA).
Alcover said the matter should not be left unaddressed and officials and personnel behind the anomaly must be held accountable.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera echoed the concern raised by Alcover, saying she supports the call for an investigation.
“Cases should be filed against whoever is liable because this is too much,” Pesquera said.
In March, the city’s senior citizens got a total of PHP271 million in cash assistance.
Alcover said he wants the probe done before the next cash aid distribution in June. (PNA)
