Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wed, Aug 19, alleged that almost half of the senior citizen beneficiaries of Makati were “ghost” beneficiaries.
“Ghosts” with benefits
Speaking to ANC, Trillanes said about 45% of the city’s beneficiaries who receive cakes and other perks and privileges were found to be either deceased or non-existent.
“We’ll be exposing the ghost senior citizens… Those who are listed as dead were still receiving benefits from the past Makati administration,” said Trillanes, referring to the administration of suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
“Some do not exist at all. Some are dead, some are just names,” Trillanes quipped.
Trillanes cited an example where one beneficiary who died last January was still included among those who had received beneficiaries in June.
He said this was discovered when Vice Mayor Romulo Peña took over as the city’s acting mayor when Binay was suspended.
Peña himself had hinted that the city under the Binays may be giving benefits to “ghost” senior citizens.
Trillanes said one witness will be presented during Thursday’s Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing on the corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay.
He added some senior citizens may also be presented during the hearing.
VP Binay’s camp refutes Trillanes’ latest claim
Joey Salgado, head of the Office of the Vice President media affairs, told ABS-CBNnews.com that the burden is on Trillanes to prove his allegations, noting that city’s beneficiaries are being monitored for possible fraud.
“For one year now Senator Trillanes and his cohorts have been making wild and sensational statements to drum up interest in their inquisition of the Vice President and his family. They want to undermine the exemplary programs and services of Makati. The senator’s latest statement is no different,” Salgado said.
“The burden is on Senator Trillanes to prove his outlandish conclusion that 45% of senior citizen beneficiaries are non-existent. Can he produce actual death certificates and other documents? We doubt it. We expect more half-truths and lies in tomorrow’s hearings.”
Salgado said that under city guidelines, senior citizens are required to personally apply for benefits. He said those listed as beneficiaries are actual persons who have submitted the required documents and have passed the verification process.
“The city’s Social Welfare Department monitors the delivery of cakes. Seniors are also required to personally receive their cash gifts. The office also conducts spot checking to check reports of fraud. It also has a validation process to purge deceased senior citizens from the list,” he said.
In an earlier radio interview, the vice-president again lambasted the subcommittee for its lack of credibility.
“[Sa] isang taon na kung anu-anong pinaggagawa, wala naman hong credible o kapani-paniwala, at pulos haka-haka at mga kasinungalingan ang napagsabi-sabi dito ho sa pagharap sa Senado,” he said.
The Vice President has yet to appear before the subcommittee. He has repeatedly said that he has already given his response to the allegations through an affidavit, but this was supposedly ignored by his Senate “inquisitors.”
Text: Dharel Placido, ABS-CBNnews.com
Photo: Gov.ph
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
