FACT CHECK: Trillanes not affiliated with AKAP

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Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV denies distributing financial aid through AKAP, clarifying that he is no longer a member of Congress and therefore has no access to funds for such assistance

Claim: Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who is running for mayor of Caloocan City, is distributing financial assistance under the government’s Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: On April 28, the Facebook page “Joie De Vivre Every Other Day” shared a photo of a container box labeled “TEAM LEA TRILLANES CALOOCAN CITY,” allegedly containing P4 million in cash. The post has garnered 4,200 reactions and 731 shares as of this writing.

Several Facebook users claimed that Trillanes was using AKAP funds to support his mayoral campaign in Caloocan. One commenter wrote, “Grabe ang bilihan ng boto talaga, ayuda ang solusyon ng politiko. Kadiri na talaga ang election sa Pilipinas.” 

(Vote-buying is really out of control. Politicians are using aid as their solution. Elections in the Philippines have truly become disgusting.)

The majority of comments accused Trillanes of vote-buying using the government assistance program.

Other users further alleged that the P4 million amount was funneled to Trillanes through AKAP by the House of Representatives because the former senator was instrumental in the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte through a warrant from the International Criminal Court. 

The facts: Trillanes is not affiliated with AKAP, as he is no longer part of the Philippine government. He lost his Senate reelection bid in 2022. 

“Fake news. In the first place, I am not a member of Congress, so I don’t have any allocation for AKAP. This is easily verifiable from DSWD if I ever had any AKAP distribution,” Trillanes told Rappler in a text message. 

The post alleging Trillanes’ involvement in the program also provides no evidence to support its claim.

Aid program: AKAP is a government financial assistance program for individuals, whether in the formal or informal sectors, earning below the minimum wage in their respective regions and those “who are affected by the effects of inflation.”

The program provides food assistance, medical assistance, funeral assistance, and cash relief assistance. It is being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

Several politicians have previously appeared at AKAP distribution sites — part of a flagship program of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The P26-billion initiative became a point of contention during the deliberation of the 2025 national budget, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allowing only its conditional implementation.

In March, the DSWD, along with the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Economic and Development Authority, issued revised guidelines banning politicians from joining AKAP distribution activities. – Bonz Magsambol/Rappler.com

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