Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said private individual, groups or even other government agencies are not allowed to deface, put labels or repack either intentionally or unintentionally relief supplies from the DSWD.

Macapobre said tampering or misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment or other commodities from the agency is a criminal act, pursuant to Republic Act (RA) no. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Section 19 of RA no. 10121 prohibits misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities by

(1) either covering, replacing or defacing the labels of the containers to make it appear that the goods, equipment or other aid commodities came from another agency or persons;

(2) repacking the goods, equipment or other aid commodities into containers with different markings to make it appear that the goods came from another agency or persons or was released upon the instance of a particular agency or persons;

(3) Making false verbal claim that the goods, equipment and/or other commodity and its untampered original containers actually came from another agency or persons or was released upon the instance of a particular agency or persons;

“The DSWD Field Office VI does not tolerate and strongly condemns these acts. Any group or individual are reminded not to use the agency’s relief supplies as a platform to advance and display their personal interest,” she said.

Under the law, those who commit any of the prohibited acts face a fine ranging from P50,000-P500,000 or imprisonment of six years up to 12 years.

Macapobre likewise encouraged the public to report all cases involving the misrepresenting the relief goods of the DSWD.#dswdfo6/kvb