The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has uncovered what it described as “ghost drivers” among beneficiaries of government assistance for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, raising concerns over data integrity and potential multibillion-peso losses.
During a hearing of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian revealed that inconsistencies and falsified entries were found in the beneficiary lists submitted by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs).
According to Gatchalian, the submitted data contained duplicate and even triplicate entries, along with manipulated identities that made verification difficult. He noted that some names appeared multiple times with slight modifications, such as adding suffixes like “Junior” to create the impression of different individuals.
“The average claim rate namin sa mga payout centers namin is only 80%. Meaning, a good 20%, they don't show up. Meron hong pumupunta, expired ang driver's license. So how can you call yourself a driver? Meron pumupunta ko dun, wala talagang driver's license,” Gatchalian said.
He further warned that if the government had directly released funds through digital wallets without verification, it could have resulted in losses amounting to ₱2.7 billion.
“But what was promised to us as a clean list by the TNCs more particularly is now what we call a junk list. Alam niyo, in the course of doing the payouts, we found out duplicates, triplicates, errors in names and everything na kung simple lang ho, pinasok namin kagad sa e-wallets without batting an eyelash dahil sila nag-certify, we would have lost 2.7 billion of much-needed resources,” he added.
The DSWD said it has already distributed ₱5.7 billion in aid to 1.1 million PUV drivers, but emphasized the need for stricter verification processes.
Gatchalian stressed that requiring beneficiaries to physically claim assistance remains necessary to confirm identities and prevent fraud, instead of relying solely on electronic wallet transfers.
The agency continues to review submitted lists and coordinate with concerned stakeholders to eliminate fraudulent entries and ensure that government aid reaches legitimate beneficiaries.
