A principal and a faculty president have confirmed the payout to Marikina City public school teachers under the Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), facilitated by Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal, the principal and the faculty president corroborated earlier claims by a group of Marikina public school teachers about the payout, which happened on April 21 to 23 at the Q Civic Center.
“Mayroon talagang nangyaring payout at naroon po mismo si Cong. Quimbo sa Q Civic Center habang pinamamahagi ang AICS. Halos lahat po ng guro na nakatanggap ay nakita siya sa venue,” the principal confirmed.
Both officials also admitted helping validate recipients in their respective schools prior to the distribution.
“Nag-alangan ako noong una dahil malapit na ang eleksiyon, ngunit sinabi sa amin na ito’y para sa mga kapwa niyo guro. Kaya ginawa ko na lang po ung validation,” the faculty president added.
Previously, a group of Marikina City public school teachers urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate the distribution of the said financial aid.
The teachers also backed up their claim with video and photo evidence, including photos of Rep. Quimbo present at the venue during the payout.
The group also sought clarification from the DSWD on why teachers were included in the AICS program during the election period. They further asked the Civil Service Commission to consider administrative action against those behind the payout.
“We also requested the Department of Education to look into this right away and remind everyone not to take part in any activity with political involvement or money matters during election time,” the teachers said.
