FOR "ILLEGAL" SOLICITATION DSWD probes Baricuatro's foundation

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central Office has launched an investigation into Simply Share Foundation Inc. (SSFI), an organization founded by gubernatorial candidate Pamela Baricuatro, for allegedly soliciting donations without the required government permit.

- Jonnavie Villa and Kristin de Dios

In an exclusive phone interview, Atty. Megan Manahan, Director of the DSWD Standards Bureau, confirmed that preliminary findings suggest the foundation may be liable for both criminal and administrative charges.

"So we got the report on this and we are in the process of doing case buildup so parang sa nakita namin parang may cause kami to believe na may be criminal and admin case na e-file," Manahan said.

The controversy was triggered by a Facebook post from Byron Garcia, who exposed that SSFI accepted a P1 million donation from the Philippine Navy in February 2022 despite not having a License to Operate (LTO) at the time. Additional screenshots from earlier social media posts in 2021 showed SSFI accepting donations via Baricuatro's personal GCash account and the foundation's BPI account.

Under Presidential Decree 1564, also known as the Solicitation Permit Law, any individual or organization that raises funds from the public must first secure a solicitation permit from the DSWD. This requirement covers various fundraising activities, including online donation drives, benefit concerts, door-to-door collections, and crowdfunding campaigns.