Senator-elect Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday warned against fake social media pages posing as social media accounts of his cash aid programs Sampung Libong Pag-asa and Sari-saring Pag-asa.
“Paalala sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan: mag-ingat sa mga nagpapanggap na staff o member ng ating programang Sampung Libong Pag-asa at Sari-saring Pag-asa,” Cayetano said in a statement.
This after multiple cases of fake groups and pages on the social media platform were reported to the Senator-elect by concerned supporters.
Sampung Libong Pag-asa is a financial assistance initiative launched by Cayetano on May 1, 2021 in which chosen beneficiaries across the country are given P10,000 in cash aid to help them with their basic expenses and put up their own small businesses amid the pandemic.
Sari-saring Pag-asa, meanwhile, is a cash aid program also launched by Cayetano on August 31, 2021 in which chosen sari-sari store owners from different parts of the country receive P3,500 as capital for their struggling micro business.
The two programs, which ran on private donations, were launched after Cayetano and his allies filed the 10K Ayuda Bill in the House of Representatives on February 1, 2021 seeking to distribute P10,000 in cash aid to every Filipino family.
The programs were intended to emphasize the importance of direct cash assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the committee level, the 10K Ayuda Bill was consolidated with the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill. The House later passed Bayanihan 3 bill but did not integrate the P10,000 assistance, prompting Cayetano to continue the two financial aid programs.
On pause
The Senator-elect stressed that Sampung Libong Pag-asa and Sari-saring Pag-asa have been paused since early February this year in compliance with the rules of the Commision on Elections during the election campaign.
“Una sa lahat, pansamantalang naka-pause ang ating mga programa bilang pagsunod sa rules ng Comelec noong panahon ng kampanya,” he said.
“Wala rin po kaming ibang Facebook page o group maliban sa official page na ito,” he added, referring to his official Facebook page.
Cayetano also urged the public not to entertain individuals who are reportedly going around listing down names of aspiring beneficiaries on behalf of the programs in exchange for a certain amount of money.
“Tandaan: hindi po kami kailanman hihingi ng anumang halaga ng pera kapalit ng inyong pagsali sa ating programa,” he told the public.
Cayetano had earlier said he will continue the two programs in his own capacity and that he would push for the 10K Ayuda Bill in the Senate, saying it is only the government that has the resources to provide P10,000 in cash assistance to every Filipino family in need.
