DSWD chief bans election bets from AKAP payout sites

Candidates in the midterm polls are banned from payout areas for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to insulate AKAP from politicians, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said yesterday.

- SHEILA CRISOSTOMO

The ban on candidates participating in the distribution of AKAP cash aid is among the guidelines that Gatchalian is formulating together with Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan for AKAP implementation.

Gatchalian is set to meet with Laguesma and Balisacan for their task of coming up with the joint guidelines on how the controversial AKAP should be implemented.

In a television interview, Gatchalian noted that the "first safety net" for AKAP implementation is to ban candidates from the payout area during the campaign period.