Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Saturday alleged corruption in the government's distribution of COVID-19 cash aid or ayuda via mobile wallets in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's challenge to investigate the alleged wrongdoings he claimed existed.
Some P10.4 billion in funds supposedly allocated for the government's social amelioration program are missing, Pacquiao said, noting that 1.3 million of the supposed 1.8 million recipients were not able to get aid via mobile wallet Starpay even though government records showed that they got the cash assistance.
"Bakit sa 1.8 million na binigyan ng SAP mula sa Starpay ay 500,000 lamang po katao ang nakadownload nito?... Ang tanong ko po, anong nangyari sa 1.3 million katao na hindi nakadownload ng Starpay app ngunit sa record po nakatanggap na sila ng ayuda?," he said in a Zoom call with reporters.
"Saan po napunta ang limpak-limpak na ayuda?" he added.
Starpay is among the electronic channels used by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the distribution of cash aid last year along with GCash, RCBC, Robinsons Bank, PayMaya, and Unionbank.
Pacquiao said he would file a resolution on Monday for a Senate investigation on the matter.
The senator made the fresh claims after President Duterte last Thursday told him to do his job in Congress and finish the investigation on alleged corruption.
The word war between the two party allies and Mindanao politicians heated up this week after the President dared the fighting senator to back up his corruption claims or be exposed as a "liar."
Pacquiao earlier claimed corruption in the Department of Health too and on Saturday, said he would present documents to back up his claims "in the right time."
"Marami pa akong hinahanda at sinusuring dokumento sa DOH at ilalantad ko po yan sa tamang panahon," Pacquiao said.
"Huwag po kayong magagalit sa akin Mr. President dahil ako po ay tumutulong lang din," he said.
Health Sec. Francisco Duque III earlier said he was ready to cooperate with any investigation on the agency's spending for pandemic response following Pacquiao's comments.
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