Subsidy for rice retailers exempted from election ban

MANILA, September 13 ------ Small and micro-scale rice retailers will continue to receive their one-time P15,000 economic relief subsidy after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved the request for exemption of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code imposes a ban on the release of public funds during the election period. The Comelec law department recommended the exemption and it was approved by Chairman George Garcia, allowing the disbursement of P800 million subsidy during the period of prohibition from Sept. 15 to Oct. 30. According to Comelec memorandum 23-05923, the request complied with required procedures.

Nonetheless, the agency reminded the DSWD that the exemption must not be used to influence the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, and should not “involve any distribution of Assistance to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS) from Oct. 20 to Oct. 30, except those which are normally given to qualified individuals.”

The commission also approved the following requests for exemption of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian during the period of prohibition:

• To continue giving salaries to all DSWD personnel whether permanent, temporary, coterminus, casual, contractual and job order;

• Routine and normal expenses for ongoing social welfare and development programs, activities and projects;

• Routine and normal expenses for ongoing foreign assisted projects

• Releases and expenditures for relief of other goods in case of disasters or calamities.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com