The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged ₱397.45 million in potentially duplicate, multiple, and overlapping cash assistance payments under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. In its 2025 annual audit report, COA identified weaknesses in beneficiary verification, recordkeeping, and monitoring that allowed some recipients to receive repeated assistance or obtain similar benefits from different government aid programs.
Of the total amount questioned, approximately ₱366.10 million involved overlapping assistance under AICS and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), while another ₱31.36 million involved duplicate or multiple AICS payments. State auditors warned that inadequate cross-checking between beneficiary databases could compromise the fair distribution of public funds and make it difficult to identify payments exceeding program limits. COA recommended stronger validation procedures, improved coordination among DSWD offices, and timely corrective measures to prevent similar discrepancies.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, however, maintained that the audit findings do not establish that public funds were stolen or wasted. The department said some questioned payments may be explained by differences in assistance needs and the interpretation of program guidelines, with records still requiring validation. While the findings do not automatically prove fraud, they raise important questions about how effectively government assistance reaches eligible Filipinos. Strengthening beneficiary records and enforcing clear distribution rules will be essential to protecting public funds without unnecessarily denying assistance to families facing genuine emergencies.