Lacson questions DSWD's P44.4B AICS budget for 2025 election year

Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) increased allocation for the Assistance in Crisis Situations (AICS) program during election years, citing a pattern of budget spikes.

Lacson noted that AICS funding jumped from P23.6 billion in 2021 to P39.8 billion in 2022, and is projected to surge again to P44.4 billion in 2025, both election years.

He stated that the program is used for politics rather than to help those in need, asserting it is driven by political interests and not by actual needs.

Lacson also criticized aid distribution events being turned into political spectacles to showcase politicians' involvement.

He lamented that the program is being turned into a political event that reinforces patronage politics.

Senator Pia Cayetano, sponsoring the DSWD budget, suggested that legislators might request additional funds for AICS during election periods, and the DSWD would accept such requests.