The agreement creates a referral system to ensure that individuals seeking legal aid from the DOJ can also access financial, medical, and psychosocial support from the DSWD.
Go, who has been vocal against the politicization of government aid, stressed that assistance should be delivered fairly, free from red tape, and without favoring political entities.
"Ang tulong para sa mahihirap ay hindi dapat ginagamit sa pamumulitika. Kapag nangangailangan ng ayuda ang isang Pilipino, hindi dapat tinatanong kung sino ang kaalyado o sinusuportahan niya," Go said. "Kailangan natin ng isang sistema na mabilis, maayos, at walang palakasan para matiyak na ang tulong ay napupunta sa tamang tao at mga nangangailangan."
During a Senate hearing on the 2025 budget for the DSWD last year, Go urged the agency to expedite aid distribution and remove bureaucratic barriers that delay assistance to the poor. He earlier criticized the department’s slow validation process, citing cases where typhoon victims had been waiting for a year without receiving their financial aid.
Go stressed that these programs are funded by public money and should not be treated as favors, emphasizing that assistance should be delivered without political interference.
During deliberations for the 2024 budget, he had already flagged delayed payouts and the reported delays in the validation process, which continued to leave vulnerable Filipinos waiting.
As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Go has repeatedly pushed for stronger mechanisms to ensure aid reaches those who need it most. From his Malasakit Centers initiative—now institutionalized under the law—to his continuous calls for better government response to crises, Go has positioned himself as a staunch advocate for efficient social services.
With the new DOJ-DSWD referral system, victims of crimes, abuse, and other crises will no longer have to navigate bureaucratic obstacles alone. Under the agreement, DOJ Action Center clients who require financial or psychosocial assistance may be referred directly to the DSWD for support. This includes therapy, medical aid, financial assistance for case filing, and even funeral aid in certain cases.
"Dapat siguruhin natin na walang maiiwan, at lahat ng nangangailangan ng tulong ay may malalapitan,” Go stressed.
While lauding the initiative, Go also urged both agencies to ensure the MOU translates into real, tangible benefits for Filipinos in distress. He called for clear implementation guidelines, efficient coordination, and strict monitoring to prevent abuses or delays.
"Ang serbisyong gobyerno ay para sa tao, hindi para sa mga pulitiko. Siguruhin natin na ang perang galing sa bayan ay bumabalik sa bayan sa pamamagitan ng mabilis at maayos na serbisyo," he said.
Sen. Bong Go
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