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MANILA - A total of 43 mayors may face administrative charges for delays in the distribution of cash aid under the social amelioration program meant to help poor families affected by coronavirus lockdowns.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the officials will be issued show cause orders to explain the delay. He, however, declined to identify the mayors until administrative cases have been filed against them.

“If their reason is not acceptable to the department, then we file administrative cases with the Office of the Ombudsman, probably for grave misconduct or dereliction of duty and it will now be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to determine the proper penalties,” Malaya said in an interview on ANC on Thursday afternoon.

Malaya said if found guilty, they could face possible suspension or dismissal from office.

Forty-three mayors will be given show cause orders by the DILG for having poor performance in the distribution of the emergency cash subsidy under the SAP to low-income families in their localities. https://t.co/GxPTURvqMO#DILGLumalabanSaCovid#WeHealAsOne#BeatCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/yFMlBvHtRN

— DILG Philippines (@DILGPhilippines) May 14, 2020

“What we’re seeing in the media are just the delays, very limited areas in delays particularly in highly urbanized cities because of a deficiency in their system. They are facing problems because of the large number of beneficiaries they have to serve as well as other local problems they have encountered,” Malaya said.

Aside from the administrative cases, the DILG is also investigating barangay officials for criminal charges because of reports that some of them pocketed funds meant for low-income families in their respective areas.

“Some of them resorted to splitting, some of them resorted to kaltas or tara and all of those graft and corrupt practices. Therefore, the secretary decided to no longer issue show cause orders against them because this is no longer admin[istrative], this is criminal and directed the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) of the PNP (Philippine National Police) to immediately investigate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaya said the DILG has secured the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s approval to use digital platforms or e-commerce in distributing the second tranche of cash aid to various beneficiaries.

• DSWD tapping online wallet for cash aid - Dumlao

“So that the funds during the second tranche would not be given to them anymore manually but now transmitted electronically to their accounts,” he said.

Malaya said around 97 percent of intended beneficiaries have received cash aid from government. The aid program had targeted 18 million poor families, with the recent addition of 5 million more.

“We’re almost there, we have 3 percent remaining and I hope LGUs would be able to finish that very soon so that they can liquidate already their first tranche and prepare the submission," he said.