Thirteen barangay officials from six villages in Iloilo City are expected to be charged for allegedly siphoning off portions of the financial assistance intended for beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

DSWD Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Paul Ledesma confirmed that preparations for the filing of cases are already in motion, following Secretary Rex Gatchalian’s directive to prosecute and remove from office those proven to have illegally taken a cut from beneficiaries’ aid.

According to Ledesma, the DSWD legal team convened on Monday, November 24, 2025, to consolidate the complaints and transcribe them into judicial affidavit format—a key step before formal filing.

He said the initial list covers 13 barangay officials from six barangays, though the DSWD has yet to publicly identify which villages are involved.

However, Ledesama acknowledged that many of them are from the districts of Jaro and Arevalo, areas where complaints have been steadily surfacing.

The DSWD official also revealed that the scheme did not appear to be new. Reports reaching his office indicate that the practice of trimming beneficiaries’ aid may have begun during the pandemic, when cash assistance was flowing heavily to affected families.

What alarms investigators, he added, is the pattern emerging from the testimonies and documents gathered so far.

“The operation appears systematic, pre-planned, and orchestrated,” Ledesma said, suggesting the possibility of a group or individual directing the scheme from behind the scenes. Verification of this angle, however, is still ongoing.

For now, the DSWD continues to gather additional evidence and proceed with its investigation to strengthen the cases against the implicated officials.

In the midst of the controversy, Secretary Gatchalian has not yet approved Ledesma’s recommendation to temporarily halt offsite payout activities in Iloilo City while the probe is underway. Offsite payouts are often where irregularities are alleged to occur, but the DSWD chief has opted to hold the line for now while the case buildup continues.

As the investigation advances and case filing nears, more barangay officials may soon be summoned — and the alleged pandemic-era scheme may finally face its reckoning.IMT