PH Senate approves bill institutionalizing Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations

The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1966 under Committee Report No. 46, a measure seeking to institutionalize the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program while imposing penalties against fraudulent claims and unauthorized distribution of government assistance on Tuesday, May 12.

The proposed legislation, also known as the AICS Act, aims to establish a permanent and transparent system for providing emergency financial aid to indigent, vulnerable, and disadvantaged Filipinos facing expenses related to medical needs, burial, transportation, education, food, and other crisis situations.

Under the same measure, individuals found falsifying documents, misrepresenting information, diverting funds, or illegally facilitating the release of assistance may face fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the violation.

The bill also seeks to hold accountable public officials and employees who exploit the program for political or personal interests.

“No public officials holding elective positions, electoral candidates, politicians, political parties, or any of their representatives, except for officials having direct administrative and executive authority over the DSWD shall influence, be present during, participate in, or otherwise take part in the actual distribution of cash assistance and other forms of assistance under this Act,” the measure states.

The proposed law enumerates several prohibited acts in the implementation and distribution of AICS assistance, including barring elective and appointive officials, government employees, their agents, representatives, and relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity from interfering in the program’s implementation or the release of aid to beneficiaries.

It also penalizes government personnel who provide assistance to unqualified recipients, extend preferential treatment to relatives within the third degree or favored individuals, or deny qualified beneficiaries access to assistance programs within their local government units.

The measure likewise considers it unlawful for any individual or group to defraud the government using falsified or misleading documents, obtain aid through fraudulent means, force beneficiaries to surrender a portion of their assistance, or falsely claim ties with the DSWD in exchange for payments or promises of priority access.

Violators may face penalties ranging from suspension to imprisonment. Private individuals involved in similar violations may also be imprisoned for one to six years. If the offender is an organization, its president, manager, or responsible officers who participated in or benefited from the violation may face imprisonment of six to 10 years.

First-time offenders may face a one-year suspension from availing DSWD assistance, while repeat offenders may be imprisoned from one to six years.

Following Senate approval, the proposed measure will undergo bicameral conference committee deliberations to reconcile differences with the House version before being transmitted to the Office of the President for signature and possible enactment into law.