DOH, DOLE deny any hand in Cha-cha signature drive

MANILA, Philippines —  Representatives of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) denied that their agencies are involved in the controversial signature campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The clarification came after Senator Imee Marcos brought up, during the Senate’s Tuesday hearing, that DOH’s Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) and DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program were being used to gather signatures for the drive to amend the 1987 Constitution.

“For our agency we would like to state, categorically deny, and vehemently denounce the act of using MAIP in return for signatures to advocate this Cha-cha,” said Richard Jimenez, Chief Health Program Officer of DOH’s Malasakit Program Office.

“Our agency will only adhere and carry out the MAIP guidelines in providing assistance,” he added.

Labor Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez likewise denied the DOLE program’s alleged involvement in the siognatiure campaign.

“Hindi po bahagi ang kagawaran at hindi po namin pinapahintulutan ang aming programa, lalong lalo na ang TUPAD, sa pangangalap po ng suporta o para impluwensyahan ang ating mga kababayan para pumirma po dito sa tinatawag na people’s initiative,” said Benavidez.

(The department is not a part of, and we do not authorize our program, especially TUPAD, to gather support or to influence our countrymen to sign up for the people’s initiative.)

Benavidez pointed out that TUPAD is aimed at providing temporary jobs to Filipinos in need.

Prior to Jimenez and Benavidez’ clarification, Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Fatima Aliah Dimaporo also defended the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program.

Dimaporo said AKAP was not created to bribe the public into giving out their support for Cha-cha.

Earlier, witnesses from Davao City testified that cash and government benefits are being used to lure and entice people into participating in the signature campaign for the amendment of the Constitution.

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