MANILA — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged lapses in the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), citing repeated and overlapping assistance, ineligible beneficiaries, and political interference in the distribution of aid.

In a report, it said that in its 2024 annual audit report on the DSWD, COA said some beneficiaries received multiple forms of assistance from different special disbursing officers (SDOs) within a three-month period, while others were granted overlapping aid under AKAP and other DSWD programs.

A total of 19,501 AKAP beneficiaries, particularly in the National Capital Region, received multiple forms of aid “due to the inability to detect individuals receiving aid from multiple SDOs, particularly during off-site payouts,” COA said.

The audit also found 3,565 AKAP beneficiaries in Cagayan Valley and 90 beneficiaries in the Bicol Region received assistance despite having previously obtained aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), another DSWD program.

Financially, COA said P108.34 million in assistance was compromised due to “systemic weaknesses across multiple levels of validation, coordination, and data management.” Some aid was granted to ineligible beneficiaries, including 466 above-minimum-wage earners who received P11.92 million and senior high school or college students who were given P48.74 million in educational assistance.

“Even if these paid beneficiaries are unable to meet their basic needs due to unforeseen events, they do not qualify under the program and should have been processed under the AICS program,” COA said.

The audit also cited “political interference” in program implementation, noting endorsements of beneficiaries by politicians, off-site payouts featuring tarpaulins with politicians’ images, and posts on political personalities’ social media accounts highlighting AKAP distribution.

“The deficiencies in the AKAP program’s off-site implementation revealed a systemic inability to uphold program integrity and neutrality, primarily due to political interference and ineffective control mechanisms by the DSWD,” COA said.

COA added that such involvement “compromise[s] the credibility of social protection efforts and violate legal principles,” depriving deserving beneficiaries of urgently needed aid.