Some 301 village officials are facing criminal charges due to alleged anomalies in the distribution of the government’s first tranche of cash aid, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.

The DILG said in a statement 76 others are under investigation, and 125 civilian accomplices are also facing charges.

Of the 301 local officials, the DILG said, 57 were village chiefs while the rest are barangay secretaries, health workers, treasurers, and chairman of the Sanggunian ng Kabataan.

The officials were charged for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and the law on reporting of communicable diseases, said the DILG.

The agency urges the public to continue reporting corrupt officials to the police as government prepares to distribute the 2nd tranche of financial assistance, said DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.

“These are cases on the ground that we encourage the residents to report kaya patuloy ang paghikayat namin sa kanila na maglakas-loob at isumbong ang mga walang pusong ito, at we will ensure na ito ay maaksyunan (These are cases on the ground that we encourage the residents to report so we continue to urge them to flag these heartless officials, and we will ensure to take action.),” Malaya said.

The Philippines extended assistance to millions of poor families affected by restrictive measures imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)./Stacy Ang